Duktiiliuteen

Duktiiliuteen, often translated as ductility, is a fundamental mechanical property of materials, particularly metals. It describes a material's ability to undergo significant plastic deformation before fracture occurs. This deformation is typically in the form of stretching or drawing. A highly ductile material can be stretched into a thin wire without breaking. This property is distinct from malleability, which refers to the ability to be hammered or rolled into thin sheets. While ductility and malleability are often found together in metals, they are not the same.

The microscopic mechanisms behind ductility involve the movement of dislocations within the crystalline structure of the material. Dislocations are line defects in the crystal lattice that allow planes of atoms to slip past each other under stress. A material's ductility is influenced by several factors, including its chemical composition, microstructure, temperature, and strain rate. For example, increasing temperature generally increases ductility by making dislocation movement easier. Alloying elements can have varying effects, either increasing or decreasing ductility depending on how they interact with dislocations.

Understanding and controlling ductility is crucial in many engineering applications. For instance, materials used in wires, cables, and deep-drawn components must possess high ductility. Conversely, materials requiring high stiffness and resistance to permanent deformation might not prioritize ductility. The measurement of ductility is often done through tensile testing, where a material's elongation and reduction in area at fracture are recorded.