
Plastic deformation occurs when a material is subjected to stress beyond its yield strength, causing it to deform rapidly and permanently. This phenomenon is commonly observed in metals, where it results from the glide of dislocations driven by shear stresses. As the stress increases, the material enters the plastic region, where the extension deviates from being directly proportional to the force applied. This region is characterised by the formation and propagation of cracks, eventually leading to complete fracture. The plastic region is preceded by the elastic region, where the material undergoes temporary deformation and returns to its original state when the stress is removed. Understanding the plastic deformation of materials is crucial for engineering applications, as it helps determine the suitability of different metals for specific purposes.
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What You'll Learn
- Plastic deformation is when the extension is no longer proportional to the force applied
- It occurs when the applied stress exceeds the yield point
- It is caused by the movement of dislocations
- It can be identified on a graph by a straight line curving towards the x-axis
- Work hardening rate tends to decrease with increasing strain

Plastic deformation is when the extension is no longer proportional to the force applied
Plastic deformation refers to the permanent distortion of a material when it is subjected to stresses that exceed its yield strength. This can occur in various forms, such as elongation, compression, buckling, bending, or twisting. The yield strength is the point at which noticeable plastic deformation occurs, and it is identified by the intersection of the stress-strain curve and a straight line extending from the origin.
When examining the stress-strain curve, plastic deformation occurs in the region where the extension is no longer proportional to the force applied to the material. This plastic region begins at the elastic limit, which is the maximum stress that a material can withstand without permanent deformation, and ends at the point of fracture when the material breaks. The curve starts to deviate from linearity at the yield strength, indicating the onset of plastic deformation.
In this plastic region, the graph curves towards the x-axis, signifying that the extension is no longer directly proportional to the force. This behaviour is characteristic of ductile materials, such as copper and rubber, which can undergo substantial deformation before fracture. These materials stretch into a new shape before ultimately breaking.
On the other hand, brittle materials like glass and concrete have very little to no plastic region. Their stress-strain curve exhibits a straight line through the origin, with no or negligible curvature. These materials tend to break with minimal elastic deformation and insignificant plastic deformation.
The ability of a material to withstand plastic deformation is crucial in structural applications, especially under tension. Metals, for example, exhibit plastic flow, which can limit the rate of spread of Mode I fracture. By deforming in response to applied stresses, plastic materials can reduce these stresses and withstand significant mechanical work before failure.
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It occurs when the applied stress exceeds the yield point
Plastic deformation occurs when the applied stress exceeds the yield point, which is known as the yield strength. This is the point at which noticeable plastic deformation occurs, and the material starts to deviate from its linear behaviour. In this region, the material undergoes permanent deformation, and some cracks may form and propagate until the material eventually fractures.
The yield strength is usually represented as a single value, and it marks the transition from elastic to plastic deformation. Before the yield point is reached, in the elastic region, the material behaves linearly, with stress and strain increasing proportionally. This region is characterised by Hooke's Law, where the material returns to its original state when the applied stress is removed.
However, once the applied stress surpasses the yield point, the plastic deformation stage begins. Here, the material deforms much faster and in a non-linear manner. The curve on a stress-strain graph starts to deviate from the linear path and progresses towards a maximum, which corresponds to the tensile strength of the material.
The plastic region is where the extension is no longer directly proportional to the force applied. This region is characterised by the movement of dislocations, which are defects in the lattice structure of the material. Dislocations can move through glide, where they slide along a specific plane, or climb, where they move outward from the glide plane. The plastic deformation process can be influenced by various factors, including crystal structure, grain size, composition, and impurity levels.
The complexity of plastic deformation increases with the type of material. For example, in polycrystalline metals, grain boundary sliding and the cooperative deformation of individual grains contribute to the overall deformation. Additionally, the work hardening or strain hardening effect comes into play, where the creation and interaction of more dislocations lead to a decrease in their mobility, impacting the overall plasticity of the material.
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It is caused by the movement of dislocations
Plastic deformation occurs when a material is permanently deformed. This is distinct from elastic deformation, where deformation is reversible. Plastic deformation is an intrinsic part of the processing of most metals, where the aim is to achieve a shape change through the application of external stress.
Plastic deformation takes place predominantly due to the movement of dislocations. Dislocations refer to flaws or irregularities within a crystalline structure. When a material is subjected to stress, its atoms shift to redistribute this stress, causing dislocations to move as well. This movement of dislocations in response to stress is what causes macroscopic permanent deformation.
There are two primary types of dislocations: edge dislocations and screw dislocations. Edge dislocations occur when an extra half-plane of atoms is introduced into the crystal lattice, resulting in a perpendicular end-on view. Screw dislocations, on the other hand, occur when there is a solenoid disturbance in the crystal lattice, causing it to terminate in a complete screw dislocation.
Several factors influence the ease of dislocation movement and the resulting degree of plastic deformation. One factor is crystal structure. Face-centred cubic (FCC) structures, due to their high symmetry, offer more directions for dislocation movement, exhibiting greater plasticity compared to body-centred cubic (BCC) or hexagonal close-packed (HCP) structures.
Temperature also plays a role in dislocation movement. Higher temperatures facilitate dislocation motion by providing the necessary thermal energy to initiate and sustain movement, thereby increasing the rate of plastic deformation. Additionally, the density of dislocations impacts their mobility. Dislocations can obstruct each other's paths, creating a "forest of dislocations". A higher dislocation density increases yield strength, requiring more stress to move dislocations through these crowded regions.
The applied stress is another critical factor. Greater applied stress results in a larger force acting on the dislocations, propelling them along the slip planes and leading to increased plastic deformation. Understanding these variables and their impact on dislocation movement is crucial for predicting and managing plastic deformation in materials.
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It can be identified on a graph by a straight line curving towards the x-axis
Plastic deformation refers to the permanent change in the size and shape of materials due to mechanical, thermal, or phase transformations. It occurs when the applied stress exceeds the yield strength of the material, causing it to deform rapidly and irreversibly.
In the context of graphing plastic deformation, the yield strength is the point on the stress-strain curve where noticeable plastic deformation begins. This curve illustrates the relationship between stress and strain, with the stress-strain curve typically starting linearly before deviating from linearity at the yield strength.
Ductile materials, such as copper, exhibit a more prominent plastic region on their stress-strain graphs. On a graph, the deformation of ductile materials is represented by a straight line that extends through the origin and then curves toward the x-axis. This curvature indicates that the extension is no longer proportional to the force applied, signifying plastic deformation.
The plastic region begins at the elastic limit, where the material's ability to return to its original state is surpassed, and ends at the point of fracture when the material breaks. Within this region, both elastic and plastic deformation coexist. The stress-strain curve within the plastic region continues to rise with increasing stress until it reaches a maximum, known as the tensile strength. Beyond this point, the curve descends toward the fracture point, marking the material's ultimate break.
The complex behavior of materials during plastic deformation, particularly metals, involves the movement and interaction of dislocations within the crystal lattice. The application of stress leads to the glide and climb of dislocations, resulting in shearing and macroscopic changes to the material's structure. The specific characteristics of plastic deformation depend on various factors, including crystal structure, grain size, composition, and more.
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Work hardening rate tends to decrease with increasing strain
Plastic deformation refers to the permanent change in the shape of a material. This is distinct from elastic deformation, which is reversible. On a stress-strain curve, the yield strength of a material is identified as the point at which noticeable plastic deformation occurs. As the stress is increased, the strain increases linearly until it deviates from this linear path at the yield strength. Beyond this point, the curve proceeds to a maximum, corresponding to the tensile strength, before curving downward toward the fracture point.
Work hardening, also known as strain hardening or cold working, is a phenomenon that occurs during plastic deformation, leading to an increase in the strength and hardness of the material. This process is commonly observed in ductile materials, such as metals, and is characterised by the accumulation and entanglement of dislocations within the crystal structure. The increased interaction between dislocations impedes their motion, resulting in a higher stress required for further deformation.
The work hardening rate tends to decrease with increasing strain due to several factors. Firstly, as the strain increases, the number of dislocations and their interactions also increase, leading to dislocation tangles that act as barriers to further dislocation motion. This dynamic recovery through annihilation of dislocations can reduce the hardening rate. Additionally, at elevated temperatures, dynamic strain aging and dynamic recovery mechanisms come into play, influencing the hardening rate. The thermal activation aids the applied stress in overcoming the hardening caused by dislocation-dislocation interactions, leading to a balance between hardening and recovery at sufficiently high temperatures.
Furthermore, the work hardening rate is sensitive to the temperature at which deformation occurs. Cold working, or deformation at low temperatures, generally results in higher yield strength due to the increased number of dislocations and the Hall-Petch effect of sub-grains. However, the effects of cold working can be reversed through annealing at high temperatures, where recovery and recrystallisation reduce the dislocation density. Therefore, the work hardening rate is expected to decrease as the temperature increases, allowing for the relaxation of work-hardened dislocation structures.
In summary, the work hardening rate tends to decrease with increasing strain due to the formation of dislocation tangles, dynamic recovery mechanisms, the influence of temperature, and the reversibility of cold working through annealing. These factors collectively contribute to a decrease in the rate of hardening as the strain increases during plastic deformation. Understanding this relationship between work hardening and strain is crucial for predicting the mechanical behaviour of materials and optimising their applications.
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Frequently asked questions
Plastic deformation occurs when the stress on an object exceeds the elasticity limit, causing it to deform quickly and acquire permanent deformation. In other words, the object does not return to its original size or shape when the stress is removed.
On a stress-strain graph, elastic deformation occurs when stress and strain increase proportionally to each other, following a straight line. Plastic deformation, on the other hand, occurs when the stress exceeds the elasticity limit, causing the graph to deviate from the linear relationship and curve towards the x-axis.
The plastic region on a stress-strain graph represents the area beyond the elasticity limit where the deformation becomes permanent. The material continues to deform plastically until it reaches the fracture point, which is the breaking point.










































