Rev.Adv.Mater.Sci. (RAMS)
No 1, Vol. 41, 2015, pages 72-83

INTERPRETING THE INTERNAL LENGTH SCALE IN STRAIN GRADIENT PLASTICITY

Xu Zhang and Katerina Aifantis

Abstract

Gradient plasticity frameworks arise from the consideration of the gradient of the plastic strain as an independent variable. In doing so a new material parameter, the internal length (or gradient coefficient) is introduced, which governs the gradient effects. Despite the efficiency of these theories, there does not exist a unified interpretation of the internal length, and its relationship with the material microstructure has not been clearly understood. The present article provides a review on the various interpretations that recent studies have provided for the internal length that go beyond fitting it to experimental data.

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