Orowan-type size effect in plastic bending of free-standing thin crystalline strips

It is suggested that the size effect in plastic bending of free-standing thin crystalline strips is due to bowing of glide dislocations possessing line tension. The Orowan-type mechanism is analogous to the one in plastic deformation of thin films on substrates. In bending, the role of the impenetrable interface is played by the neutral plane that cannot be crossed by the glide dislocations. The proposed model is evaluated and the results are compared with experimental results found in the literature.