Physically-Based and Power-Law Constitutive Relations for Higher Temperature Metal Processing and Creep-Type Deformations

There is continuing research interest in the development and use of constitutive relations for assistance with description and optimization of higher temperature metal and alloy processing conditions and desired mechanical property performances, particularly in the latter case for nanopolycrystalline materials under creep-type loading deformations. Here, we focus on the plastic flow stress dependence on strain rate, temperature, and especially, on material grain size. Connection is established between, on the one hand, relatively recent thermal-activation-based relations for dislocation motion and, on the other hand, comparative power law expressions.