title: Statistical thermodynamics of strain hardening in polycrystalline solids.
abstract: This paper starts with a systematic rederivation of the statistical thermodynamic equations of motion for dislocation-mediated plasticity proposed in 2010 by Langer, Bouchbinder, and Lookman [Acta Mat. 58, 3718 (2010)ACMAFD1359-645410.1016/j.actamat.2010.03.009]. It then uses that theory to explain the anomalous rate-hardening behavior reported in 1988 by Follansbee and Kocks and to explore the relation between hardening rate and grain size reported in 1995 by Meyers et al. A central theme is the need for physics-based, nonequilibrium analyses in developing predictive theories of the strength of polycrystalline materials.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, University of California, Santa Barbara, California 93106-9530, USA.
authors.forename: J S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Langer