Description: Abaqus/Explicit now provides the cast iron plasticity model that previously was available only in Abaqus/Standard. The constitutive model describes the mechanical behavior of gray cast iron, a material with a microstructure consisting of a distribution of graphite flakes in a steel matrix. In tension the graphite flakes act as stress concentrators, resulting in yielding as a function of the maximum principal stress, followed by brittle behavior. In compression the graphite flakes do not have an appreciable effect on the macroscopic response, resulting in a ductile behavior similar to that of many steels. The above differences manifest themselves in the following macroscopic properties: (i) different yield strengths in tension and compression, with the yield stress in compression being a factor of three or more higher than the yield stress in tension; (ii) inelastic volume change in tension, but little or no inelastic volume change in compression; and (iii) different hardening behavior in tension and compression. The model in Abaqus uses a Mises-type yield condition along with an associated flow rule to describe the ductile behavior of cast iron under compressive loading conditions, and a pressure-dependent yield surface with nonassociated flow to model the brittle behavior in tension.

Import between Abaqus/Standard and Abaqus/Explicit is now supported for the cast iron plasticity model.

Property module: 
    Material editor: MechanicalPlasticityCast Iron Plasticity