Shear banding during cyclic deformation of sub-microcrystalline nickel

Sub-microcrystalline nickel produced by pulsed electrodeposition was investigated during cyclic deformation at high plastic strain amplitude. After a certain number of loading cycles the specimen developed a “macro” shear band at 45° with respect to the tensile axis, which acted as a crack initiator. Electron backscatter diffraction revealed that the shear band consists of relaxed grains elongated along the shear plane, showing a typical shear texture. The shear band texture was reproduced with the viscoplastic self-consistent polycrystal model using {1 1 1}〈1 1 0〉 slip systems.