Symposia - Symposium on Segration (Metals Technology, September 1944) - An Investigation of the Technical Cohesive Strength of Metals (Metals Technology, August 1943) (With discussion)

The technical cohesive strength of a metal means, not the interatomic forces, but the technically estimated resistance to fracture. An example of such resistance to fracture is the so-called "true" breaking stress of a tension-test specimen, the breaking load divided by the sectional area at fracture. According to the prevalent view,8 the technical cohesive strength of a metal. in any particular state as regards prior mecharlical treatment and heat-treatment, is determined by a limiting value of the algebraically greatest principal stress. In two previous papers by one of the authors, evidence was presented to indicate that the technical cohesive strength of a metal cannot be represented by a single stress value, but that it comprises an infinite number of values corresponding to the infinite number of possible combinations of the principal stresses. The technical cohesive strength thus comprises an infinite number of technical cohesion Limits, each representing a specific stress combination at fracture. In the same papers, evidence was presented that plastic extension causes a continuous increase in the technical cohesive strength. Such a variation is not in accordance with the prevalent view that plastic extension first increases, then decreases, the technical cohesive strength.' In this paper, as in the previous papers,14.15 the algebraically greatest principal stress will be designated S1, the least principal stress will be designated 33, and the intermediate principal stress will be designated S². The technical cohesion limit under polarsymmetric tension (S1 = S2 = S3) will be termed the "disruptive stress," and the cohesion limit under unidirectional tension (S2 and S3 = o) will be termed the "severing stress."l4, .l5 The yield strength of a metal, according to the generally accepted theory, may be represented by a constant value of the shearing-strain energy, and hence by a constant value of the sum of the squares of the three principal stress differences. In the second of the previous papers,15 however, evidence was presented that the limiting yield stress decreases with increase in the volume stress, the algebraic average Of the three principal stresses.* This in fluence of the volume stress becomes prominent only in the field of triaxial tension. In the two previous papers,".'5 diagrams were presented to show the variation of the technical cohesion limit, yield stress, and ultimate stress with the combination of principal stresses and with plastic extension. Those diagrams and the resultant • Any stress system ma? be resolved into a polarsymmetric stress causing pure volume strain and a combination of pure shearing stresses. which cause no change of volum