Abstract: By using the widely used JOHNSON-COOK model and the gradient-dependent plasticity to consider microstructural effect beyond the occurrence of shear strain localization, the distributions of local plastic shear strain and deformation in adiabatic shear band(ASB) were analyzed. The peak local plastic shear strain is proportional to the average plastic shear strain, while it is inversely proportional to the critical plastic shear strain corresponding to the peak flow shear stress. The relative plastic shear deformation between the top and base of ASB depends on the thickness of ASB and the average plastic shear strain. A parametric study was carried out to study the influence of constitutive parameters on shear strain localization. Higher values of static shear strength and work to heat conversion factor lead to lower critical plastic shear strain so that the shear localization is more apparent at the same average plastic shear strain. Higher values of strain-hardening exponent, strain rate sensitive coefficient, melting point, thermal capacity and mass density result in higher critical plastic shear strain, leading to less apparent shear localization at the same average plastic shear strain. The strain rate sensitive coefficient has a minor influence on the critical plastic shear strain, the distributions of local plastic shear strain and deformation in ASB. The effect of strain-hardening modulus on the critical plastic shear strain is not monotonous. When the maximum critical plastic shear strain is reached, the least apparent shear localization occurs.

Key words: adiabatic shear band; ductile metal; shear localization; JOHNSON-COOK model; constitutive parameters