Plastic flow instability: Chernov–Lüders bands and the Portevin—Le Chatelier effect

Abstract

We have studied the regularities in the evolution of macroscopic nonuniformities in the plastic flow of metals in the form of the Chernov–Lüders bands and the Portevin—Le Chatelier effect. The regularities in the evolution of strain inhomogeneity in these two cases have been established, and the kinetics of motion of the Chernov–Lüders fronts and abrupt deformation in the Portevin–Le Chatelier effect has been analyzed. It has been shown that the Chernov–Lüders fronts and Portevin–Le Chatelier jumpwise straining can be treated as macroscopic autowave processes of switching and excitation, respectively, in deformed media of various origins.