Work-hardening of Fe,Fe-0·5 wt% Si and Fe-0·9 wt% Si single crystals

Work-hardening curves of single crystals of iron and its alloys with 0·5 and 0·9 wt.% Si and paths of the tensile axis of specimens during deformation were investigated. Single crystals oriented for single glide were deformed in tension at temperatures 113, 201, 295 and 403 K at a nominal strain rate of 5·5×10^?5 sec^?1. It appears that with increasing silicon content (a) the transition between the high-temperature regime of plastic deformation (characterized by three-stage work-hardening) and the low-temperature regime is shifted to lower temperatures, (b) stage I-hardening is enhanced and (c) the flow stress level increases. These observations are explained by strong solution hardening of iron by silicon atoms which suppresses the differences between mobilities of screw and non-screw dislocations, increases the flow stress level and consequently the density of primary dislocations. As a result of this the latent hardening in the secondary slip system increases and stage I extends to a large strain.