An experimental investigation on cyclic plastic deformation and substructures of polycrystalline copper

Cyclic deformation under proportional and nonproportional loading of a textured copper was experimentally studied, and the results were compared with those of texture-free copper with the same grain size. The texture had a great influence on the equivalent cyclic stress–strain (CSS) curves under proportional loading but insignificant influence on the CSS curves under nonproportional loading. By comparing the slip patterns on the specimen surface and dislocation substructures under proportional and nonproportional loading, the mechanism of nonproportional hardening was discussed. The slip multiplicity inherited from originally multiple-slip oriented grains plays a minor role. Nonproportional hardening is the result of enhanced activated slip systems and more uniform activation of slip systems due to the rotation of maximum shear stress under nonproportional loading. At high strain amplitudes, cells were the primary substructures for both proportional and nonproportional loading but the diameters of the cells under nonproportional loading were smaller for similar strain magnitude. A linear relationship existed between the saturation equivalent stress magnitude and the reciprocal of the diameter of the dislocation cells. Such a relationship was independent of the loading modes and texture. The saturation stress magnitude was related to the bowing stress of screw dislocations in the interior area of dislocation cells. The mechanical response was practically recoverable either when the loading magnitude was changed from a higher value to a lower value or when the loading was changed from a nonproportional loading path to a proportional loading path. However, the dislocation substructures cannot be completely recovered.