
Plastic deformation is the irreversible process of a material undergoing a permanent change in shape or size in response to applied forces. It is called plastic deformation because it is the point at which a material's elasticity is exceeded, and it will not return to its original shape, even when the force is removed. Plastic deformation occurs when the deformation is in the elastic limit, and the load is too high in comparison to the amount of strain. This can be caused by exceeding the yield strength of a material, which is the load at which the material reaches its yield point, or the point at which the material fails to return to its original position.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Definition | Plastic deformation is the permanent distortion of a material that occurs when it is subjected to stresses exceeding its yield strength. |
| Other names | Plasticity |
| Process | The irreversible process of plastic deformation occurs whenever a shear stress exceeds a critical value and causes permanent changes in atomic positions. |
| Plastic deformation range | Objects with a large plastic deformation range include soft thermoplastics, ductile metals such as copper, silver, and gold, and steel. |
| Plastic deformation in different materials | Plastic deformation is observed in most materials, particularly metals, soils, rocks, concrete, and foams. |
| Plastic deformation in ductile materials | Ductile materials can sustain large plastic deformations without fracture. |
| Plastic deformation in brittle materials | In brittle materials such as rock, concrete, and bone, plasticity is caused predominantly by slip at microcracks. |
| Plastic deformation in cellular materials | In cellular materials such as liquid foams or biological tissues, plasticity is caused by bubble or cell rearrangements. |
| Plastic deformation in crystalline materials | In crystalline materials, plasticity is usually a consequence of dislocations. |
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What You'll Learn
- Plastic deformation is a non-reversible change of shape in response to applied forces
- It occurs when a material is subjected to stresses exceeding its yield strength
- It is observed in most materials, especially metals, soils, rocks, concrete, and foams
- Plastic deformation occurs when deformation is in the elastic limit
- It is characterised by a uniform flow of the metal material and no change in its volume

Plastic deformation is a non-reversible change of shape in response to applied forces
The amount of load required to cause plastic deformation is known as the plastic limit stress (PLS). It occurs when the deformation surpasses the elastic limit, and the load is too high compared to the amount of strain. When the load is removed, the material retains a permanent deformation as it has exceeded its yield point. This is in contrast to temporary or elastic deformation, where the material returns to its original shape after the applied force is removed.
Plastic deformation can be observed in a variety of materials, particularly metals, soils, rocks, concrete, and foams. In metals, plasticity is typically a result of dislocations, which are defects in the crystal structure. Ductile materials, such as copper, silver, and gold, can sustain large plastic deformations without fracture. However, even ductile metals will eventually fracture when the strain becomes too large, leading to work hardening and embrittlement.
The initiation of plasticity around the yield point contributes to high levels of acoustic emission (AE). This is attributed to the dislocation avalanche and the multiplication of dislocations during yielding. During deformation, factors such as high strength, high strain rate, low temperature, and anisotropy can increase the relative amplitude of AE signals.
Plastic deformation is characterized by a uniform flow of the metal material without any change in its volume. It is important to distinguish it from elastic deformation, where the material returns to its original shape, and strength refers to the amount of force required to deform the material. Understanding the yield points and strengths of materials is crucial for predicting and controlling plastic deformation in engineering applications.
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It occurs when a material is subjected to stresses exceeding its yield strength
Plastic deformation is an irreversible process that occurs when a material is subjected to stresses that exceed its yield strength. This results in changes such as elongation, compression, buckling, bending, or twisting. The yield strength of a material refers to the amount of stress required for the material to reach its yield point, or the point at which the material fails to return to its original position.
When a material is subjected to stresses exceeding its yield strength, it undergoes permanent deformation. This means that even after the removal of the applied forces, the deformation remains. This is because the material has exceeded its elastic limit, which is the range of strain within which a material will return to its original shape once the load is removed.
The amount of stress required to cause plastic deformation is known as the plastic limit stress (PLS). This value may vary depending on the material, with ductile materials such as copper, silver, and gold exhibiting a large plastic deformation range. Materials with high ductility can sustain large plastic deformations without fracture. However, even ductile materials will eventually fracture when the strain becomes too large, resulting in work hardening and embrittlement of the material.
Plastic deformation is characterized by a uniform flow of the material with no change in volume. It is often observed in metals due to their crystalline structure, which allows for the movement of dislocations within the crystal lattice. This movement of dislocations contributes to the initiation of plasticity and the resulting permanent distortion of the material.
The transition from elastic behavior to plastic behavior is known as yielding, and it occurs when the stress applied to a material exceeds its yield strength. This can be visualized using a stress-strain curve, where the strain is plotted against the stress until the material fractures. By observing the behavior of a material under increasing stress, it is possible to identify the point at which plastic deformation occurs and understand the material's response to applied forces.
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It is observed in most materials, especially metals, soils, rocks, concrete, and foams
Plastic deformation is observed in a wide range of materials, notably metals, soils, rocks, concrete, and foams. However, the mechanisms behind plastic deformation vary across these materials.
In metals, plasticity is caused by the glide of dislocations driven by shear stress. Dislocations are two-dimensional crystal lattice defects, and their movement results in the uniform flow of the metal without any change in volume. This process is known as slip, where atoms move through interatomic distances relative to their initial positions. Deformation twinning can also contribute to plastic deformation in metals, although it still requires shear stress and exhibits no volume change. The amount of load required to initiate plastic deformation in metals is called the plastic limit stress (PLS).
Soils, particularly clays, exhibit significant inelasticity under load. The plasticity in soils is primarily caused by the rearrangement of clusters of adjacent grains. The microstructure, chemical composition, and water content strongly influence the complex behaviour of plasticity in soils.
Rocks, concrete, and other brittle materials undergo plastic deformation predominantly due to the formation of microcracks and sliding motions relative to these cracks. At high temperatures and pressures, the motion of dislocations in individual grains can also contribute to plastic behaviour.
In cellular materials like liquid foams, plasticity arises mainly from bubble or cell rearrangements, specifically T1 processes. Foams can be classified as elastomeric, elastic-plastic, or elastic-brittle foams based on their mechanical properties. Elastomeric foams, for instance, can recover their initial shape after loading due to their elastic nature.
Overall, the phenomenon of plastic deformation encompasses a diverse range of materials, each with its unique characteristics and underlying mechanisms.
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Plastic deformation occurs when deformation is in the elastic limit
Plastic deformation is an irreversible process that occurs when a material undergoes a change in shape due to applied forces. It is characterised by a uniform flow of the metal material and no change in its volume. This change in shape can be observed in objects like a steel rod bending, where the deformation stays even after the removal of the applied forces.
Elasticity in materials occurs when applied stress does not surpass the energy required to break molecular bonds. This allows the material to deform reversibly and return to its original shape once the stress is removed. Temporary deformation, or elastic deformation, is recoverable as the deformation disappears after the removal of applied forces.
Plastic deformation occurs when deformation exceeds the elastic limit of a material. This means that the material has been subjected to stresses that exceed its yield strength, resulting in changes such as elongation, compression, buckling, bending, or twisting. The yield point is the point at which the material fails to return to its original position. If the material is loaded beyond this point, deformation will occur and may progress to the formation and propagation of cracks, ultimately leading to material failure.
The amount of load required to cause plastic deformation is called the plastic limit stress (PLS). Ductile materials can sustain large plastic deformations without fracture, but even these materials will eventually fracture when the strain becomes too large. Materials with ductile behaviour include most metals, some soils, and plastics.
The physical mechanisms that cause plastic deformation can vary widely. In ductile metals, tensile loading can cause elastic behaviour, where each increment of load is accompanied by a proportional increment in extension. However, once the load exceeds the yield strength, the extension increases more rapidly, and some degree of extension will remain when the load is removed.
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It is characterised by a uniform flow of the metal material and no change in its volume
Plastic deformation is the ability of a solid material to undergo permanent, irreversible changes in shape in response to applied forces. It is defined as the permanent distortion of a material that occurs when it is subjected to stresses exceeding its yield strength. This deformation is characterised by a uniform flow of the metal material and no change in its volume.
Plastic deformation occurs when the deformation is in the elastic limit. When the load is too high in comparison to the amount of strain, plastic deformation starts. This is known as the yield point, and it is the point at which the material fails to return to its original position. If the load is increased beyond the yield point, the deformation will continue until it reaches the failure point, where the deformation will stop.
The amount of load required to cause plastic deformation is called the plastic limit stress (PLS). This is the stress at which the material retains a permanent strain after the load is removed. Materials that can undergo plastic deformation include ductile metals such as copper, silver, and gold, as well as steel and wet chewing gum.
Ductile materials can sustain large plastic deformations without fracture. However, even ductile metals will fracture when the strain becomes large enough, resulting in work hardening of the material, which causes it to become brittle. Heat treatments can be used to restore the ductility of a worked piece.
Plastic deformation is an important concept in engineering and manufacturing, where it is used to shape objects into desired forms under controlled heat and pressure.
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