Co-deformation of two-phase Cu–Cr alloys

Experiments have been conducted on a model Cu–Cr alloy to investigate the role of fine-scale embedded phases in co-deformation. The results of this work show that, when sufficiently fine, plasticity in embedded phases is accompanied by very large internal stresses. This has been attributed to the difficulty of maintaining compatibility between the phases. A simple model is proposed that is able to capture the essential features of the strengthening in this material under uniaxial tension at low temperatures.