Comparison of two grain interaction models for polycrystal plasticity and deformation texture prediction

The reader is briefly reminded that there are no models, yet available, capable of truly quantitative deformation texture predictions for arbitrary strain paths, although such models are clearly needed for accurate finite element (FE) simulations of metal forming processes. It is shown that for cold rolling of steel, the classical models (full-constraints and relaxed constraints Taylor, self-consistent) are clearly outperformed by new 2-point or n-point models, which take grain-to-first-neighbour interactions into account. Three models have been used: the 2-point "Lamel"-models (two variants) and the micromechanical finite element-model developed by Kalidindi et al. (J. Mech. Phys. Sol. 40 (1992) 537). Extensive comparisons of the results of the Lamel-model with experimental data has been published before (by Delannay et al. (J. Phys. IV France 9 (1999) 43) and van Houtte et al. (Textures and Microstuctures 31 (1999) 109). Emphasis of the present paper is a confrontation of the Lamel model with the micromechanical finite element-model. It was found that for the case study at hand, the solutions of each model can be regarded as approximations of the solutions of the other. It is, however, believed that the FE-model would really be able to produce reference results (macro and micro deformation textures) if more elaborate meshes are used that describe the microstructure more closely. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.