On the definition of RVE size in simulations of mesoscale deformation-induced surface roughening in polycrystals

The mesoscale deformation-induced surface roughening is formed by grain clusters involved in collective out-of-plane displacements. In order to reproduce these processes in simulations by the crystal plasticity finite element method, a polycrystalline structure is introduced into consideration explicitly. A topical issue related to this kind of simulations is how many grains the model should contain to be a representative of the mesoscale. In this study, four polycrystalline models with different sizes and a number of grains are examined to determine the representative volume element capable of reproducing mesoscale deformation-related phenomena. It is shown that the range of plastic deformation where the model is applicable directly correlates with its size and a number of grains. The more grains are arranged along the axis of tension, the larger plastic strain the model is able to accommodate. (C) 2021 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0) Peer-review under responsibility of ICSID 2020 Organizers.