Effect of dislocation structure on fracture toughness of strained BCC-metals

Mechanical properties of materials depend on their structure. Examined are the effects of dislocation structure on fracture toughness and mechanisms of fracture of BCC-metals. Fracture toughness was determined by depending specimens with cracks introduced into the plane perpendicular to the plane of rolling. Fracture toughness increases with decreasing yield stress (for =15–25%). This is due to instability of slightly misoriented cell structure under repeated loading. The peak of fracture toughness at the temperature 77 K was not observed. The increase of fracture toughness for high strained metals (>60% for Mo, and >85% for Cr) corresponds to cell size reduction and the change of fracture mechanisms.