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From fracture to deformation: How does material ductility affect engineering design?
In materials science, ductility refers to the ability of a material to withstand significant plastic deformation before breaking. This plastic deformation is fundamentally different from elastic deformation, which is permanent when stress is applied, while elastic deformation returns to its original shape when the stress is removed. Ductility is a critical mechanical property in many applications that require materials to bend, stretch, or otherwise deform without cracking. Many engineering and manufacturing operations, especially in metal processing, have strict requirements on the ductility of materials.
Ductility is a key factor in assessing whether a material will survive metal forming processes such as forging or drawing.
In this context, ductility is often quantified by elongation at fracture (%EL), a calculation based on the change in length of the material before and after fracture. The more ductile a material is, the better it can withstand stress and deformation. In contrast, some materials, such as cast iron, exhibit brittle failure characteristics.
Metals are generally considered to be highly malleable due to their unique metallic bonding structures. In these materials, valence electrons are able to move freely, which allows metal atoms to slide under stress without experiencing strong repulsive forces. Taking steel as an example, the ductility of steel changes with the alloy composition. As the carbon content increases, the ductility of steel decreases.
The most malleable metal is platinum, and the most malleable metal is gold.
Overall, the ductility of a material affects how it performs in practical applications. Metals that are more ductile can absorb more energy when struck, thereby avoiding the risk of brittle fracture. Therefore, how to select appropriate materials for engineering design is a complex challenge. Particularly when cooled below the brittle transition temperature (DBTT), many materials rapidly become brittle. This brings out the importance of DBTT.
DBTT is not only an important consideration in designing load-bearing metal products, but also depends on the characteristics of the material itself and the type of structure. Metals with a face-centered cubic structure remain ductile over a wide temperature range, while metals with a body-centered cubic structure exhibit ductility only at high temperatures.
DSD is an important basis for selecting materials to withstand mechanical stress.
In practical applications, the measurement and performance of ductility are also affected by many external factors. For example, neutron radiation can increase internal lattice defects, thereby increasing the DBTT of the material. This means engineers must consider multiple factors when designing and selecting materials, including the material’s microstructure, external environment and life expectancy.
Under the increasing technical demand, exploring how materials can still maintain a certain degree of ductility when withstanding mechanical damage has become an important topic in current research. Could a material's ductility determine its range of applications in future engineering designs? Does this mean we need to rethink material selection and application strategies?
