A three-scale crystal plasticity model accounting for grain refinement in fcc metals subjected to severe plastic deformations

A new three-scale model of polycrystal accounting for grain refinement is proposed. The model is embedded into the crystal plasticity framework. With the experimental reference to the development of the dislocation induced cell substructure, a single crystallite in the representative grain aggregate is initially subdivided into subdomains with the crystallographic orientations slightly misoriented with respect to the nominal orientation of a parent grain. The predicted misorientation evolution of subgrains with respect to the reference orientation of a crystallite is an indicator of grain refinement. The correlation between the increase of a misorientation angle and a slip activity pattern is analyzed. The model predictions are compared with available experimental data.