strain hardening

Strain hardening, also known as work hardening, is a process in metallurgy where a metal becomes harder due to plastic deformation. Initially, a few deformations might weaken the metal, but continued deformation increases its strength. This occurs because as stresses are applied, the crystals within the metal slip against each other. However, the more these slips happen, the more they create obstacles to further slippage, leading to increased hardness. This phenomenon is crucial in metalworking operations like rolling, forging, and drawing, where it can significantly enhance a metal's yield stress.12