ABSTRACT
In this chapter, we look at the separation of the deformation into elastic, plastic, and thermal parts. In particular, we look at the deformation gradient and how it is multiplicatively decomposed into an elastic, a plastic, and a thermal deformation gradient. The physical meaning of the decomposition is different based on what range of loading and type of model is used. In a very loose way, one might associate with the elastic, thermal, and plastic parts, respectively, reversible mechanical, reversible thermal, and permanent deformations. These interpretations can change based on the model used and the conditions of the loading. In this chapter, we will focus only on the kinematics of such a decomposition. For the most part, we will not focus on assigning meaning to this decomposition.
