 Single-crystal plastic deformation

Single-crystal plastic deformation is irreversible shape change of a single crystal, often through dislocation motion on particular slip systems. A slip system specifies a crystallographic plane and a direction within it. Applied loading resolves into a shear stress that drives slip, making the response depend on crystal orientation.^[ref]

Under uniaxial stress $\sigma$, the resolved stress on a slip system is $\tau =\sigma \cos \varphi \cos \lambda$, where $\varphi$ is the angle between the loading axis and plane normal and $\lambda$ the angle to the slip direction. For compatible $45$-degree angles, $\tau =\sigma /2$. Slip begins when the relevant resistance is reached; subsequent deformation can rotate the lattice and change which systems carry further strain.^[ref]