Experiments on the effect of low temperature on some plastic properties of metals

Summary

The yield value, breaking strength, elongation and hardness of a number of pure polycrystalline metals were measured at room temperature and at −183°C. The yield value is always higher at −183°C than at 20°, the difference being relatively small (<75%) for the cubic facecentered and a number of hexagonal metals (e.g. Mg). This difference is large for the body-centered metals and for Zn, Cd and Sn. The former metals have a larger elongation at lower temperature, the latter, however, become more or less brittle at low temperature. The breaking strength and the hardness increase generally with decreasing temperature.