What Does Work Hardening Mean in Science?

Work hardening, in metallurgy, increase in hardness of a metal induced, deliberately or accidentally, by hammering, rolling, drawing, or other physical processes. ... The reason for this seeming paradox lies in the crystalline structure of metal.

What is hardening in science?

Hardening is a metallurgical metalworking process used to increase the hardness of a metal. The hardness of a metal is directly proportional to the uniaxial yield stress at the location of the imposed strain. A harder metal will have a higher resistance to plastic deformation than a less hard metal.

Is work hardening good or bad?

Cold work/strain hardening is widely used to increase the mechanical characteristics of many alloys. Hardening gives them their essential properties of toughness and shaping ability.