Fatigue Softening of Copper Single Crystals

Abstract

<p> The fatigue softening behaviour of copper single crystals was investigated as a function of temperature. Copper crystals, prestrained in tension, were softened by "push-pull" cycling at constant plastic strain amplitude, in the low amplitude range, and the cyclic stress-strain curves determined at various temperatures. Transmission electron microscopy was employed to determine the detailed microstructural changes which occured during softening while X-ray and slip line observations were utilized to indicate the overall structural changes on a macroscopic scale. The results were correlated and a rationale, based on dipole production, proposed for the observed softening behaviour. </p>