Strain Softening and Ductility
Because shear zones are characterised by the localisation of strain, some form of strain softening must occur, in order for the affected host material to deform more plastically. The softening can be brought about by the following phenomena:
- grain-size reductions.
- geometric softening.
- reaction softening.
- fluid-related softening.
Furthermore for a material to become more ductile (quasi-plastic) and undergo continuous deformation (flow) without fracturing, the following deformation mechanisms (on a grain scale) have to be taken into account:
- diffusion creep (various types).
- dislocation creep (various types).
- dynamic recrystallization
- pressure solution processes.
- grain-boundary sliding (superplasticity) and grain-boundary area reduction.
Read more about this topic: Shear Zone
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