The influence of second phase and/or grain orientations on deformation patterns in a Ag polycrystal and in Ag/Ni composites

As a consequence of the elastic and plastic anisotropy of the grains in pol ycrystalline materials, inhomogeneous stress and strain fields develop in t he grain structure. In addition, in two-phase materials, different mechanic al properties of the phases lead to further localisation of the plastic def ormation. Both effects which influence the development and formation of she ar bands as well as the damage process during loading are investigated on p olycrystalline Ag and two-phase Ag/Ni by means of the finite element method (FEM). (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.