Institute of Metals Division - Plasticity of Molybdenum Single Crystals at High Temperatures

Single crystals of molybdenum were extended at temperatures from 1300° to 2500°C. It was found that with increasing temperatures, the yield becomes more pronounced and the number of slip bands for equal amounts of elongation decreases. Slip at high temperatures fragments the structure. OTHER than the investigations on sodium and potassium by Andrade and Tsien,&apos; the researches of Steijn and Brick&apos; on a iron single crystals at low temperatures are about the only studies of the influence of temperature on glide of body-centered cubic single crystals. The effect of test temperature on glide has been rather widely investigated with hexagonal crystals" and less widely with face-centered cubic crystals. ~~ a result of these studies it can be said that, in general, the onset of plastic flow as measured by the initial rate of strain hardening becomes more abrupt with increasing temperature, and the value of the yield decreases with increasing temperature. Strain hardening, however, is markedly affected by changes in temperature except at very low and very high temperatures where the strain hardening rate becames constant. In the present investigation it is shown that temperature affects the glide of molybdenum single crystals in much the same manner as crystals of other classes, it., for comparable strains the number of slip bands decreases with increasing temperature; shear along the slip bands increases with increasing temperature; the yield becomes more pronounced with increasing temperature of test; and the strain hardening approaches a constant at very high temperatures. In addition, it is shown that, in agreement with the work of Tsien and Chow, Qlip occurs on (110) planes in <Ill> directions. It is further shown that slip at high temperatures fragments the structure into either irregular sized cells or bent atomic planes which are roughly aligned in crystallographic directions. Experimental Procedure Single crystals 3 mm in diameter by about 25 mm long were prepared using the technique previously described.&apos; The furnace in which the crystals were grown served as the extension apparatus for the tension tests. It consisted of a 4 in. water-cooled brass tube 20 in. long which was continuously evacuated at the bottom. Two water-cooled copper electrodes held the specimen by means of spherical collets secured in place in the electrodes by set screws. These electrodes served also to transmit power and stress to the specimen. The lower electrode was clamped to a stand, while the upper electrode was fastened to one side of a lever arm flexibly supported at the top through a slightly offset pinion. A metal bellows operating elastically was attached to the upper electrode to affect a vacuum seal and allow freedom of motion. The level of the arm was adjusted by rotating a graduated nut. Rotation of the electrode was prevented by a key fitted into a groove. After the specimen was mounted and the vacuum secured, the lever arm was adjusted so that the bellows was at its relaxed position. This insured that the total weight of the specimen, the upper electrode, and the downpull of the vacuum were balanced by the horizontal beam. Since the specimen was heated by its own resistance, expansion of the specimen proceeded freely by this arrangement. During the time of heating the specimen, the beam was maintained in a horizontal position by turning the nut at the top. By graduating the lever arm and using a known dead weight on the lever arm to supply a tensile stress, the graduated nut could be read to 0.0001 in. extension. Since