Yield previous | next

criteria
for
metals
A yield criterion is a hypothesis defining the limit of elasticity in a material and the onset of
plastic deformation under any possible combination of stresses.

There are several possible yield criteria. We will introduce two types here relevant to the
description of yield in metals.

To help understanding of combinations of stresses, it is useful to introduce the idea of

principal stress space. The orthogonal principal stress axes are not necessarily related to

orthogonal crystal axes.

Using this construction, any stress can be plotted as a point in 3D stress space.

For example, the uniaxial stress where σ = σ; σ = σ = 0, plots as a point on

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the σ axis.
1

A purely hydrostatic stress σ = σ = σ =σ will lie along the vector [111] in principal stress
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space. For any point on this line, there can be no yielding, since in metals, it is found
experimentally that hydrostatic stress does not induce plastic deformation (see hydrostatic
and deviatoric components).
 The 'hydrostatic line'

We know from uniaxial tension experiments, that if σ = Y, σ = σ = 0 where Y is a uniaxial

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stress, then yielding will occur.

Therefore, there must be a surface, which surrounds the hydrostatic line and passes through
(Y, 0, 0) that defines the boundary between elastic and plastic behaviour. This surface will
define a yield criterion. Such a surface has also to pass through the points (0, Y, 0), (0, 0, Y),
(–Y, 0, 0) (0, –Y, 0) and (0, 0, –Y).

The plane defined by the three points (Y, 0, 0), (0, Y, 0) and (0, 0, Y) is parallel to the plane
defined by the three points (–Y, 0, 0) (0, –Y, 0) and (0, 0, –Y).

The simplest shape for a yield criterion satisfying these requirements is a cylinder of
appropriate radius with an axis along the hydrostatic line. This can be described by an
equation of the form:

From above, if, σ1 = Y, σ2 = σ3 = 0, then the constant is given by 2Y2. This is the von Mises
Yield Criterion.
We can also define a yield stress in terms of a pure shear, k. A pure shear stress can be

represented in a Mohr’s Circle, as follows:

Referred to principal stress space, we have σ1 = k, σ2 = –k, σ3 = 0.

The von Mises criterion can therefore be expressed as:

A mathematically simpler criterion which satisfies the requirements for the yield surface
having to pass through (Y, 0, 0), (0, Y, 0) and (0, 0, Y) is theTresca Criterion.

If we suppose σ > σ > σ , then the largest difference between principal stresses is given
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by (σ1 – σ3).

If yielding occurs when σ = Y, σ = σ = 0, then (σ – σ ) = Y.

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For yield in pure shear at some shear stress k, when referred to the principal stress state we
could have

The Tresca criterion is (σ – σ ) = Y = 2k.

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Viewed down the hydrostatic line, the two criteria appear as:

For plane stress, let the principal stresses be σ and σ , with σ = 0.

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The yield surfaces for the Tresca yield criterion and the von Mises yield criterion in plane

stress are shown below:

The Tresca yield surface is an irregular hexagon and the von Mises yield surface is an ellipse.
The ratio of the length of the major and minor axes of this ellipse is . Click here for a
derivation of this result.
Experiments suggest that the von Mises yield criterion is the one which provides better
agreement with observed behaviour than the Tresca yield criterion. However, the Tresca yield
criterion is still used because of its mathematical simplicity.