Single-surface and double-surface plasticity for micropolar continuum

Abstract The micropolar continuum is a special case of a micromorphic material model and has additional degrees of freedom in the form of microrotations compared to the classical continuum. With the micropolar model, size effects can be considered and the boundary value problem can be regularized when localization effects occur. In order to map the microrotations, an additional strain measure and an additional stress are introduced. For simulation of plasticity, it is possible to define one yield function, and thus one plastic multiplier as well as one equivalent plastic strain occur. This approach is known as the single-surface plasticity approach. The macro- and micro-stresses are coupled in a common flow function. On the other hand, there is the so-called double-surface plasticity when one yield function, one plastic multiplier, and one equivalent plastic strain, respectively, are introduced for each of the macro- and micro-variables. The coupling of the macro- and micro-variables is established by a possible coupling of both yield functions. The purpose of this paper is to compare both approaches and to identify similarities and differences.