plasticityshape

Plasticityshape is a term used in materials science and related disciplines to describe the relationship between plastic deformation and the evolving geometry of a solid under load. It captures how irreversible shape changes arise from yielding and flow, and how these changes influence an object's external form and internal stress distribution.

In classical plasticity, materials permanently deform once the yield point is exceeded. Plasticityshape emphasizes that the geometry itself changes as plastic strains accumulate, which is essential for predicting final shapes after forming processes and for understanding residual stresses and curvature.

Mathematical models for plasticityshape often employ finite-strain plasticity, using a multiplicative decomposition of the deformation gradient F = FeFp to separate elastic and plastic parts. Constitutive laws link stress, strain, and plastic flow to forecast shape evolution, while hardening, rate effects, and anisotropy shape the path taken during deformation. Numerical methods, especially finite element analysis, simulate plastic shape evolution during forming, extrusion, or additive manufacturing.

Applications span metal forming, polymer shaping, and geomechanics, where accurate prediction of final geometry and residual stress is critical. The concept also informs studies of soft solids and polymers, where viscoplastic flow can drive large shape changes.

The term is not widely standardized and may appear in cross-disciplinary work rather than as a formal field. Related topics include plasticity, finite-strain plasticity, shape optimization, constitutive modeling, and finite element analysis.