The work-hardening characteristics of Cu and α-brass single crystals between 4•2 and 500°K

Abstract

Abstract Shear stress—shear strain curves of Cu and α-brass single crystals have been obtained over a wide range of alloy compositions, temperatures, initial orientations and strain rates. Analysis of the work-hardening characteristics leads to the following main conclusions: (i) for Cu the work-hardening rate during easy glide increases with temperature; (ii) in α-brass stage I ends when the resolved shear stress on the conjugate system equals the initial resolved shear stress on the primary system; (iii) the extent of easy glide increases with decreasing temperature and increasing alloy content, and the temperature dependence of easy glide decreases with increasing alloy content; (iv) the work-hardening rate θ11 during stage II is greater for orientations near symmetrical positions, and this orientation dependence is found at 4•2, 77 and 295°K for both Cu and α-brass; (v) θ11 increases with decreasing temperature, especially in the alloys; (vi) the temperature dependence of θ11 for pure metals is very s...