International Journal of Plasticity最新文献

{"title":"Enhancing the strength and plasticity of laminated aluminum alloy by introducing micron-scale pure aluminum interlayers","authors":"Yufeng Song ,&nbsp;Lijie Wang ,&nbsp;Yuqiang Chen ,&nbsp;Wenhui Liu ,&nbsp;Ziyi Teng ,&nbsp;Qiang Hu ,&nbsp;Mingwang Fu","doi":"10.1016/j.ijplas.2025.104601","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijplas.2025.104601","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Laminated aluminum alloys (LAAs) are recognized as pivotal materials in aerospace and automotive structures, due to their low density and high specific strength. However, there is an inverse relationship between the strength and plasticity of these alloys, which restricts their further applications in a low-carbon economy. This study proposes the design of micron-scale pure Al interlayers between AA2024/AA7075 layers to inversely strengthen the LAAs by achieving collaborative deformation through interlayer stress gradients and dislocation path modulation, enabling simultaneous enhancement of strength and plasticity. Notably, the micron-layered Al composite (MLAC) exhibits an ultimate tensile strength of 503.4 MPa and elongation of 13.3 %, which are 18.6 % and 29.1 % higher than those of the traditional layered composites (TLACs), significantly surpassing the limitation of the mechanical properties of laminated materials obeying the rule of mixtures (ROM). The underlying strengthening–ductilizing mechanisms are unveiled by in-situ electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD), digital image correlation (DIC), crystal plasticity (CP), and molecular dynamics (MD) based simulations. Results reveal that the strength mismatch between the pure Al layer and the Al alloy layers induces progressive accumulation of soft-layer stress gradient, forming an interfacial stress-affected zone (ISAZs). These zones trigger intricate dislocation-grain interactions and evolve into networked strain bands through the coordinated activation of slip systems. By redistributing local stress fields, these strain bands promote plastic flow as the dominant stress dissipation pathway, dynamically balance interfacial stress concentrations, and induce subcritical microcrack formation, thereby suppressing the tendency for catastrophic brittle fractures. Consequently, these findings establish heterostructure-enabled interlayer design as an effective pathway to achieve strength–ductility synergy in AA2024/AA7075 laminates. The unveiled strengthening–ductilizing mechanism offers a conceptual framework for developing LAAs that transcend conventional mechanical property limitations, obeying ROM.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":340,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Plasticity","volume":"197 ","pages":"Article 104601"},"PeriodicalIF":12.8,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145844912","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Surface severe plastic deformation-enabled deformation behavior control and mechanical property enhancement in metastable ferrous medium-entropy alloys","authors":"Gang Hee Gu ,&nbsp;Sang Guk Jeong ,&nbsp;Jae Heung Lee ,&nbsp;Stefanus Harjo ,&nbsp;Wu Gong ,&nbsp;Auezhan Amanov ,&nbsp;Jae Wung Bae ,&nbsp;Hyeonseok Kwon ,&nbsp;Hyoung Seop Kim","doi":"10.1016/j.ijplas.2025.104581","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijplas.2025.104581","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Stacking fault energy (SFE) is an intrinsic property that governs the deformation behavior of metallic materials, including dislocation slip, deformation twinning, and phase transformation. In this study, we present a mechanistic perspective demonstrating that the ‘apparent’ SFE and the associated deformation behavior can be tailored by modifying only the localized microstructure (∼100 μm from the surface) through the application of surface severe plastic deformation. This process generates a well-defined gradient microstructure in the near-surface region through grain refinement and an increase in dislocation density. The reduction in apparent SFE induced by localized gradient structure enhances the driving force for martensitic transformation compared to its homogeneous counterpart. This effect originates from the preferential martensite nucleation sites provided by the localized gradient region, as well as from dynamic stress partitioning facilitated by phase interfaces and gradient heterostructure, which synergistically accelerate the growth of martensitic phase. As a result, the deformation behavior was effectively modulated, leading to significantly enhanced mechanical properties. In particular, partial microstructural modification enabled strength enhancement while minimizing the loss of ductility, in clear contrast to conventional approaches based solely on grain refinement or dislocation density enhancement. This work therefore provides phenomenological insight into how localized microstructural engineering can regulate deformation mechanisms and mechanical performance, representing advancements beyond the conventional understanding of mechanical behavior of heterostructured materials.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":340,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Plasticity","volume":"197 ","pages":"Article 104581"},"PeriodicalIF":12.8,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145753083","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Revealing and mitigating the microcrack-sensitive fatigue behavior of laser powder bed fusion fabricated medium-entropy nanocomposites","authors":"Yufei Chen ,&nbsp;Tiwen Lu ,&nbsp;Xiyu Chen ,&nbsp;Xiaoqi Hu ,&nbsp;Ning Yao ,&nbsp;Xiaofeng Yang ,&nbsp;Haitao Lu ,&nbsp;Kaishang Li ,&nbsp;Binhan Sun ,&nbsp;Yunjie Bi ,&nbsp;Xian-Cheng Zhang ,&nbsp;Shan-Tung Tu","doi":"10.1016/j.ijplas.2025.104603","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijplas.2025.104603","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Additive manufacturing (AM) provides a novel avenue for the fabrication of metal matrix nanocomposites with a uniform distribution of reinforcements and excellent static mechanical properties, while few studies have been conducted on their fatigue behavior. In this study, TiC_np/(CoCrNi)₉₄Al₃Ti₃ nanocomposites were fabricated using powder bed fusion (PBF), with another representative AM processes-directed energy deposition (DED) as a reference for comparison. In the case of similar low-density defects, though PBF-sample had finer microstructure and higher tensile strength than DED-sample, its fatigue endurance limit (350 MPa) was markedly lower than that of the DED sample (550 MPa). Further investigation revealed that the fatigue initiation sources for DED-samples were pores, while fatigue failure of PBF-samples were mainly initiated from manufactured microcracks. Though the average volume of pores in DED (1.9 × 10⁵ μm³) was significantly larger than microcracks in PBF (1.6 × 10⁴ μm³), the latter posed a more serious threat to fatigue performance. Microcracks were associated with Ti segregation at grain boundaries (GBs) and strong solidification shrinkage, both induced by higher solidification rate of PBF. Finally, two methods were applied to reduce the risk of GB cracking in nanocomposites by adjusting the alloy composition. As a result, segregation at GBs in PBF-fabricated nanocomposites was mitigated, reducing the microcrack density and significantly improving the fatigue resistance. The work reveals the origin of microcrack susceptivity in PBF and offers a microstructural strategy for designing high-strength and fatigue-resistant nanocomposites.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":340,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Plasticity","volume":"197 ","pages":"Article 104603"},"PeriodicalIF":12.8,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145844880","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Modeling strength and ductility of alloys with intragrain compositional inhomogeneities","authors":"A.M. Smirnov ,&nbsp;A.G. Sheinerman ,&nbsp;X.T. Li ,&nbsp;Z.J. Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.ijplas.2025.104602","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijplas.2025.104602","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Tailoring composition modulation can be a powerful tool to increase strength and ductility of two- and multicomponent alloys. Here we suggest a model that describes the tensile behavior of alloys with three-dimensional composition undulation. Within the model, the stacking fault energy variation, misfit stresses and dislocation pinning by the inhomogeneous solid solution are considered simultaneously. The model reveals that the composition undulation wavelength that provides peak ultimate strength is determined by a balance of three strengthening mechanisms: 1) dislocation pinning by obstacles, which is enhanced at a small undulation wavelength, 2) resistance to dislocation motion due to stacking fault energy variation, which is highest at a moderate undulation wavelength, and 3) dislocation interaction with misfit stresses, which is most pronounced at a high undulation wavelength. In considering the two latter mechanisms we uncovered a sharp transition from the moderate to the high optimum undulation wavelength at a critical value of the ratio of the misfit to the stacking fault energy variation. The two latter mechanisms increase strength at the expense of reduced ductility and do not affect the product of the ultimate strength and the uniform elongation. In contrast, dislocation pinning by obstacles can increase both strength and ductility due to enhanced strain hardening.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":340,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Plasticity","volume":"197 ","pages":"Article 104602"},"PeriodicalIF":12.8,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145922261","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A multi-scale modeling of complex thermomechanical loading paths in high-temperature shape memory alloys using a crystal-plasticity framework","authors":"Adrien R. Cassagne ,&nbsp;Dimitris C. Lagoudas ,&nbsp;Jean-Briac le Graverend","doi":"10.1016/j.ijplas.2025.104598","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijplas.2025.104598","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>A crystal-plasticity approach with a mean-field framework using a self-consistent approach was developed for complex thermo-mechanical loading in high-temperature shape memory alloys (HTSMAs). More specifically, an implicit scale transition rule called <span><math><mi>β</mi></math></span>-transition rule was employed. A grain-size-dependent martensitic transformation activation criterion was implemented to offer a smooth transformation hardening behavior as well as a saturating transformation strain magnitude function of the local von Mises stress. Two complex loadings were considered: out-of-phase (OP), consisting of a simultaneous increase of stress and decrease of temperature, and in-phase (IP), consisting of a simultaneous increase of stress and temperature. The material parameters were calibrated using isobaric experiments at different stress levels. This calibration was then used to model complex loading paths to evaluate the relevance of using isobaric parameters for the description of complex paths. Computational results are evaluated based on their capability to reproduce the transformation, actuation, and residual strains experimentally observed for the different loading paths considered. Results show a robustness to predict different loading paths using a set of isobaric calibrated parameters. In-phase paths are described on a purely qualitative basis due to the lack of quantitative experimental data. The model developed can capture the first cycle response shape explained by an initial loading in the self-accommodated martensitic state.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":340,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Plasticity","volume":"197 ","pages":"Article 104598"},"PeriodicalIF":12.8,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145822856","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Stress softening damage in strongly nonlinear viscoelastic soft materials: A physics-informed data-driven constitutive model with time–temperature coupling","authors":"Alireza Ostadrahimi ,&nbsp;Amir Teimouri ,&nbsp;Kshitiz Upadhyay ,&nbsp;Guoqiang Li","doi":"10.1016/j.ijplas.2025.104582","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijplas.2025.104582","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This work introduces a constitutive modeling framework based on a physics-informed Temporal Convolutional Network (TCN) for capturing the extremely nonlinear thermoviscoelastic behavior of soft materials, including large cyclic elongations up to 200%, temperature-dependent viscoelasticity, and Mullins-type damage. In contrast to conventional Mullins or thermo-viscoelastic models—which require specifying hard-coded functional forms and calibrating numerous parameters across 8–12 experiments—the proposed framework defines a new evolution law for stress, damage, and reduced-time temperature effects through a causal temporal architecture. Time–temperature superposition is embedded directly via the Williams–Landel–Ferry (WLF) shift factor, making temperature an intrinsic driver for reduced time rather than an externally appended parameter. This allows the model to learn temperature–rate–damage coupling sequentially, without predefined analytical evolution equations. As a result, the framework requires only three experimental tests for training yet generalizes to six entirely unseen tests that span different temperatures, strain rates, cycle counts, and elongation levels. The model successfully extrapolates to regimes far outside the training domain, including temperatures not used in training, strain rates 2.5 × higher, elongations 50% greater, and significantly longer cyclic histories. Thermodynamic admissibility is promoted by softly enforcing the Clausius–Duhem inequality in the loss function, while damage evolution is constrained by physical principles. The resulting surrogate constitutes a new constitutive model expressed through physics-embedded sequence learning rather than traditional closed-form equations. The trained model is directly implementable in finite element solvers through a VUMAT subroutine, enabling predictive simulations under complex geometries and loading conditions. Its robustness to experimental uncertainty is demonstrated through accurate predictions under 20% Gaussian stress noise. Validation includes three training cases, six independent experimental tests, and a geometry-dependent deployment example involving cyclic Mullins damage in an open-hole specimen, all showing close agreement. These results demonstrate that embedding reduced-time physics into a TCN framework not only accelerates training and improves predictive accuracy but also establishes a fundamentally new, thermodynamically anchored constitutive formulation that surpasses the capabilities of traditional phenomenological models and existing ML-based surrogates.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":340,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Plasticity","volume":"197 ","pages":"Article 104582"},"PeriodicalIF":12.8,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145838508","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A fully coupled multi-physics multi-phase field crystal plasticity finite element model (MPF-CPFEM) for predicting microstructure evolution and thermomechanical behavior in additive manufacturing","authors":"Xinxin Sun ,&nbsp;Lu Wang ,&nbsp;Guochen Peng ,&nbsp;Gengwen Wang ,&nbsp;Yisheng Lu ,&nbsp;Shinji Sakane ,&nbsp;Wentao Yan ,&nbsp;M.W. Fu","doi":"10.1016/j.ijplas.2025.104583","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijplas.2025.104583","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;div&gt;&lt;div&gt;Despite decades of development in high-energy-density (HED) beam additive manufacturing (AM), modeling and simulation of thermomechanical behavior and microstructure evolution have predominantly been performed in pseudo-coupled or one-way coupled modes. This restriction limits its application in multi-track prediction and impedes a comprehensive understanding of the underlying mechanisms in HED beam AM processes. Therefore, this work presents the first two-way, fully coupled, multi-phase field crystal plasticity finite element method (MPF-CPFEM) model, which simultaneously simulates microstructure evolution and thermomechanical behavior during AM processes. The unified MPF model captures recrystallization, grain growth, and liquid–solid transformation, while the CPFEM accounts for polycrystalline deformation, dislocation density evolution, and temperature-dependent thermomechanical response. A mesh-sharing scheme and real-time data exchange enable two-way coupling, supported by a developed element-free Galerkin finite difference method (EFG-FDM) for the accurate calculation of non-local data on deformed meshes, including geometrically necessary dislocations (GNDs) and phase fields. The model incorporates the influence of cellular structure size effects via GND densities derived from the supercooling rate. The validated model is applied to two laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) cases. It replicates morphological characteristics, such as V-shaped grains and the non-uniform surface of the molten pool. Simulations reveal strong two-way coupling between thermomechanical response and heterogeneous deformation. It shows that epitaxially grown regions exhibit different stress and grain orientations from the substrate due to the influence of cellular structures, thermomechanical deformation, and intergranular constraints driven by the molten pool with grain aggregates. The model reveals residual stress accumulation during the dual-track LPBF case and identifies potential crack regions at epitaxial grain boundaries. It captures ultra-rapid dislocation multiplication after limited tracks, which differs from the conventional plastic forming process, cyclic service environment, and solid-state AM processes. Rapid cooling suppresses discontinuous dynamic recrystallization (DDRX), while continuous dynamic recrystallization (CDRX) is found to form after limited laser tracks, driven by extreme deformation at molten pool boundaries in the LPBF process. The application to the dual-track LPBF case demonstrates its inherent capability to tackle the challenge of fully coupling multi-track AM simulations, which is challenging with conventional one-way modeling. As the first endeavor in a fully coupled modeling framework for AM processes, the MPF-CPFEM model offers unique insights into the complex HED beam AM mechanisms. Limitations and prospects, including computational efficiency, potential extension to additional AM processes, computational optimizations, and f","PeriodicalId":340,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Plasticity","volume":"197 ","pages":"Article 104583"},"PeriodicalIF":12.8,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145784643","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effect of lattice distortion and chemical short-range order on the phase transformation behavior of high entropy alloys under high strain rates","authors":"Yuquan Meng ,&nbsp;Xia Zeng ,&nbsp;Shanshan Liu ,&nbsp;Wanghui Li ,&nbsp;Yunjiang Wang ,&nbsp;Kaikai Song ,&nbsp;Jianli Shao ,&nbsp;Lijun Xiao ,&nbsp;Weidong Song","doi":"10.1016/j.ijplas.2025.104584","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijplas.2025.104584","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Phase transformation offers a promising strategy to overcome the long-standing strength-toughness trade-off in materials by accommodating plastic deformation through strain redistribution. The FCC high entropy alloy (HEA) CoCuFeNiPd has received attention for its excellent mechanical properties due to its intense chemical short-range order (SRO)and severe lattice distortion effect (LD). In this study, the effect of SRO and LD, as well as strain rate, on the mechanical responses and phase transformation behavior of CoCuFeNiPd HEA is investigated via a combination of molecular dynamics (MD) and Monte Carlo (MC) simulations. This study demonstrates that the deformation mechanism in CoCuFeNiPd HEA transitions from dislocation slip dominance at 1 × 10⁸/s to FCC-BCC<img>HCP phase transformation dominance at 1 × 10¹⁰/s. During the initial deformation stage, yield behavior is controlled by BCC structure nucleation. LD effects substantially reduce the nucleation barrier, promoting premature BCC formation and accelerating the yielding process. The SRO effect induces the phase transformations that predominantly occur in regions where Cu-Fe-Pd clusters aggregate, which promotes the rapid development of dislocations and maintains a high flow stress. In addition, the twinning substructures of BCC martensite by specific atom shear movements are observed under the strain rate of 10¹⁰/s, which maintains the high strength, and the subsequent HCP phase transformation provides the continuous plastic deformation. This study provides important insights into the stress-induced phase transformation mechanism under extreme strain rates.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":340,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Plasticity","volume":"197 ","pages":"Article 104584"},"PeriodicalIF":12.8,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145784644","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A micromechanical investigation of plasticity in ordered NbMoCrTiAl and disordered TaNbHfZrTi refractory compositionally complex alloys at room temperature","authors":"Jin Wang ,&nbsp;Nicolas J. Peter ,&nbsp;Martin Heilmaier ,&nbsp;Ruth Schwaiger","doi":"10.1016/j.ijplas.2025.104593","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijplas.2025.104593","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Refractory compositionally complex alloys (RCCAs) are known for their exceptional high-temperature resistance. However, their inherent brittleness at room temperature limits broader practical applications. To explore the effects of microstructure and loading conditions on their deformation behavior, micromechanical experiments, including microbending and micropillar compression tests, were performed on two representative RCCAs: equimolar NbMoCrTiAl (ordered B2 crystal structure) and TaNbHfZrTi (disordered A2 crystal structure). Both alloys demonstrated significant plastic deformation, with strains exceeding 40% at room temperature. Despite prior reports of limited ductility in NbMoCrTiAl at the millimeter scale, our micropillar compression tests on single-crystalline pillars oriented along <span><math><mrow><mo>〈</mo><mn>1</mn><mspace></mspace><mn>0</mn><mspace></mspace><mn>0</mn><mo>〉</mo></mrow></math></span> and <span><math><mrow><mo>〈</mo><mn>1</mn><mspace></mspace><mn>1</mn><mspace></mspace><mn>0</mn><mo>〉</mo></mrow></math></span> reveal substantial plasticity. The dominant deformation mechanisms in NbMoCrTiAl were identified as crystallographic slip and cross-slip of screw dislocations. By contrast, TaNbHfZrTi exhibited a broader range of mechanisms, including screw dislocation slip and a high density of non-screw dislocations, accompanied by kink band formation and activation of high-order slip planes, which collectively contribute to its remarkable ductility among the highest reported for body-centered cubic RCCAs. The atomic size mismatch inherent in compositionally complex alloys enhances dislocation mobility, while the random distribution of elements promotes the formation of edge segments, further improving ductility. These findings highlight the critical role of microstructural characteristics in tailoring the deformation behavior of RCCAs for room-temperature applications.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":340,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Plasticity","volume":"197 ","pages":"Article 104593"},"PeriodicalIF":12.8,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145881652","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"U-PolyConformer: Spatiotemporal machine learning for microstructure engineering","authors":"Dylan Budnick ,&nbsp;Benhour Amirian ,&nbsp;Abhijit Brahme ,&nbsp;Haitham El-Kadiri ,&nbsp;Kaan Inal","doi":"10.1016/j.ijplas.2025.104597","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijplas.2025.104597","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Accelerating the prediction of mechanical behaviour in heterogenous materials is critical for large-scale microstructure optimization and realizing functionally optimized materials. While existing machine learning approaches have demonstrated an ability to accelerate predictions for the full-field mechanical response of a wide range of heterogenous microstructures, they have been largely limited to monotonic loading conditions. This paper introduces U-PolyConformer, a spatiotemporal machine learning framework that combines U-Net convolutional neural networks with transformer layers, capable of capturing the full-field stress and strain evolution under monotonic and random walk loading conditions. Trained on a large dataset of crystal plasticity finite element method (CPFEM) simulations with FCC polycrystals, the model accurately captures complex phenomena, including strain localization and stress unloading. The U-PolyConformer achieves a 7,900x speed-up over the ground-truth CPFEM simulations while producing high-fidelity results in both interpolative and extrapolative regimes. Comprehensive evaluations demonstrate the U-PolyConformer’s capacity to generalize outside the training distribution to novel microstructures, loading conditions, and strain hardening behaviours. To highlight the model’s potential as a surrogate for accelerating computational materials engineering workflows, a microstructure optimization framework based on static recrystallization is introduced and used to delay the onset of localization. This framework is successfully used to identify the grains which initiate the onset of localization, illustrating how the proposed model and optimization framework may be used for identifying and exploring property-performance relationships.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":340,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Plasticity","volume":"197 ","pages":"Article 104597"},"PeriodicalIF":12.8,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145822859","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}