Determination of critical stress triaxiality along yield locus of isotropic ductile materials under plane strain condition

It is widely accepted that failure due to plastic deformation in metals greatly depends on the stress triaxiality factor (TF). This article investigates the variation of stress triaxiality along the yield locus of ductile materials. Von Mises yield criteria and triaxiality factor have been used to determine the critical limits of stress triaxiality for the materials under plane strain condition. A generalized mathematical model for triaxiality factor has been formulated and a constrained optimization has been carried out using genetic algorithm. Finite element analysis of a two dimensional square plate has been carried out to verify the results obtained by the mathematical model. It is found that the set of values of the first and the second principal stresses on the yield locus, which results in maximum stress triaxiality, can be used to determine the location at which crack initiation may occur. Thus, the results indicate that while designing a certain component, such combination of stresses which leads the stress triaxiality to its critical value, should be avoided.