Quantitative comparison between experiments and crystal plasticity simulations using microstructural clones

Crystal plasticity finite element (CP-FE) models are now extensively employed to investigate grain-scale deformation in crystalline materials. The fidelity of the model is derived from verification against experimental data; however, it is challenging to quantitatively compare regions of interest across different length scales using various experimental techniques. In this work, we compare CP-FE predictions of local and global mechanical responses to “Microstructural Clones” data, comprising multiple experimental datasets from microscopically identical quasi-2D crystal specimens. These multi-crystal specimens exhibit nearly identical grain morphologies, grain orientations, grain boundary characteristics, and similar dislocation arrangements. Such specimens enable multiple in-situ and ex-situ experiments on nominally identical samples, allowing for the control of several variables and the exploration of the impact of a single variable in a more scientifically rigorous manner. We use these clone experiments to compare texture evolution, surface strain fields, and failure behavior with CP-FE predictions. This procedure provides an objective and quantitative methodology to evaluate the agreement between the model and experimental data, and allows for the testing of various model parameters to improve the CP-FE model. •Microstructural clones are created to analyze stochasticity in material response.•Clones enable the repeatability of experiments and validations of model errors.•CP-FE predictions agreed well with measured strain fields and deformed texture.•Inconsistencies in sample geometries had significant impact on failure behavior.