The formation of cracks as a result of plastic flow

Abstract

The stresses round a piled-up group of dislocations are investigated with reference to the initiation of a crack. A crack should form when the group consists of about 1000 dislocations piled up under a stress of the magnitude occurring in a cold-worked metal. The stress system due to the crack is obtained. The crack will have a stable equilibrium length, but this length is likely to be determined by the amount of plastic flow which takes place round the tip of the crack.