Temperature and Strain-Rate Dependence of the Flow Stress of AgMg Single Crystals

Abstract

The effect of temperature and strain rate on the flow stress of β‐AgMg single crystals was investigated in the temperature range of 77° to 900°K and strain‐rate range of 10⁻⁴ to 10⁴ sec⁻¹. The low‐temperature data were found to obey the predictions of the Peierls mechanism up to strain rates of 1.8×10⁴ sec⁻¹. Above strain rates of 1.8×10⁴ sec⁻¹ the shear stress becomes athermal and strain‐rate‐sensitive. The high‐temperature data were found to be thermally activated and showed increasing strength with decreasing temperature and increasing strain rate. There is a temperature‐sensitive, strain‐rate‐insensitive region which divides the low‐ and high‐temperature thermally activated mechanisms and shows increasing strength with increasing temperature.