Kinetics of low-temperature discontinuous deformation of metals

Kinetic characteristics of discontinuous yielding at a temperature of 4 K as functions of a number of factors are obtained using numerical simulation and experimental data for austenitic steel and aluminum alloy. During the development of a strain jump, the deformation rate and acceleration are 19 s(-1) and 5000 s(-2), respectively, for steel specimens and are much lower for aluminum alloy. The jump duration is mainly determined by the characteristics of the loading system. An equation relating the strain jump and the critical stress for low-temperature ductile materials is derived. The energy balance and the mechanism of low-temperature discontinuous yielding of metals are discussed. Its dynamic and thermally activated components are estimated taking into account the strain hardening of the material. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.