On the microscopic origin of the plastic spin

Considering the configuration of a single slip and employing a scale invariance argument, it is possible to deduce a set of microscopic plastic flow relations having a direct counterpart in the macroscopic formulation of plasticity and viscoplasticity. In particular, a microscopic form of the plastic spin and its macroscopic counterpart for the case of anisotropy induced by kinematic hardening are obtained in terms of elementary physical arguments. Moreover the evolution equation for the back-stress is rigorously derived. Parameters which were assumed to be constant and/or independent from each other in a macroscopic development, are now found to be interrelated and dependent on the accumulated plastic strain. These findings are used for the analysis of the simple shear problem, especially in evaluating the development of the axial stress normal to the shear plane. A preliminary qualitative comparison with available data from fixed-end torsion experiments is discussed