On the description of anisotropic workhardening

Abstract A model of workhardening is proposed which generalizes the known rules of isotropic and kinematic workhardening by introducing the concept of a ‘field of workhardening moduli.’ This field is defined by a configuration of surfaces of constant workhardening moduli in the stress space. For any loading history the instantaneous configuration can be determined by calculating the translation and expansion or contraction of all surfaces; the material behaviour can thus be determined for complex loading paths, in particular for cyclic loadings. Several examples for a plane stress state are presented.