Propagating Portevin-LeChatelier deformation bands in Cu-15 at.% Al polycrystals: experiments and theoretical description

By simultaneous high resolution recordings of stress and local strain along the specimen length, using a novel multizone laser scanning extensometer, the nucleation and propagation of Portevin-LeChatelier (PLC) deformation ba nds has been studied on Cu-15 at.% Al polycrystals. The extensometer data p rovides an accurate classification of the types A, B and C of PLC bands as well as propagation rates, band strain and band width. These are compared w ith results of a new theoretical space-time analysis of propagating PLC ban ds which combines an explicit physical description of dynamic strain ageing kinetics with plastic deformation kinetics. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.