THE CLAUSIUS-DUHEM INEQUALITY AND THE STRUCTURE OF RATE-INDEPENDENT PLASTICITY

This paper is concerned with a derivation of the thermodynamic restric tions on a class of inelastic constitutive assumptions that reflect th e general response of rate-independent, inelastic materials with a yie ld condition. The procedure of Coleman and Noll, utilizing the Clausiu s-Duhem Inequality is used. it is shown that a constitutive statement for the stress and entropy response, similar in form to hyperelastic m aterials, can be derived from the Clausius-Duhem Inequality without ma king any special, additional assumptions. The results obtained are wel l-known in the literature, and have been put to practical use (e.g. nu merical implementations of elasto-plastic and damaged materials) in th e recent past; it is hoped that this work provides a sound logical bas is for the use of such results.