Strain-hardening of polycrystals: The α-brasses

Abstract

Abstract The strain-hardening of α-brasses is examined in terms of the condition for the generation of a new slip band at the head of a pile-up of dislocations against a grain boundary. The flow stress of high-zinc brasses appears to be determined by this condition, but the development of intragranular dislocation cells eventually makes it inappropriate for low-zinc brasses. The effect of strain on the various factors involved in the slip band generation is examined experimentally and theoretically.