Abstract
The rigidity modulus of ten beta-brass single crystals has been measured as a function of crystal orientation and of temperature from 25° to 500°C by the method of the composite piezoelectric oscillator. The reciprocal of the rigidity modulus, 1G, is linearly related to the orientation function. When these data are combined with Rinehart's previous measurements of Young's modulus, the principal elastic parameters are found to be 3.88, — 1.52 and 0.578 × 1012 cm2/dyne, respectively, at room temperature. Curves and tables give them as functions of temperature up to and slightly beyond the critical temperature for order-disorder. At room temperature, the rigidity modulus is a maximum in the [100] direction, G[100]=17.3×1011 dyne/cm2, and a minimum in the [111] direction, G[111]=1.35×1011 dyne/cm2, and at the critical temperature, G[100]=13.5×1011 dyne/cm2 and G[111]=1.06×1011 dyne/cm2. The elastic anisotropy as given by G[100]G[111] is 12.8 at room temperature, decreases to 12.3 at 250°C and has a value of 13.0 at the critical temperature. The bending-torsion effect was found to be large and in agreement with theory.