Work Hardening
Version 1.0.0 · Updated 2026-07-28
CORE DEFINITION
Work hardening refers to the phenomenon where a material's load-bearing capacity (strength) increases during permanent deformation. This characteristic is one of the essential differences between ductile and brittle materials, and its strengthening effect can be positive, negative, or irrelevant in specific applications.
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Work hardening refers to the phenomenon where a material's load-bearing capacity (strength) increases during permanent deformation. This characteristic is one of the essential differences between ductile and brittle materials, and its strengthening effect can be positive, negative, or irrelevant in specific applications.
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In materials science, cold plastic deformation increases the density of dislocations in metals and causes them to entangle, thereby increasing strength and hardness while decreasing plasticity (strain hardening). As a metaphor: individuals or organizations that repeatedly experience setbacks ("deformation") do become "harder"—more resilient and with stronger boundaries—but at the cost of losing "plasticity," i.e., flexibility, tolerance, and room for change, and if excessive, they become brittle.
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- zh.wikipedia.orghttps://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%8A%A0%E5%B7%A5%E7%A1%AC%E5%8C%96verified
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