The Flow Stress of Copper

The reverse microflow associated with the Bauschinger effect in copper strained into stage II is characterized experimentally and analyzed in terms of the theory of obstacle-controlled flow and established composite theory. The results are discussed in the light of observations by electron microscopy, deformation calorimetry and X-ray diffraction.

It is suggested that the overall flow resistance arises from an interplay of two modes of obstacle controlled glide, none of which dominate the flow stress. One mode occurs inside regions of high local dislocation density (inclusions) where individual forest dislocations oppose glide on the primary slip system.

The second mode is bowing of dislocations between the inclusions.