The mechanical behaviour of cuprous oxide

The stress-strain behaviour under compresion at constant strain rate of single crystals (051 and 122) compression axis) and polycrystalline samples of cuprous oxide have been examined at room temperature and hydrostatic pressure up to 12 kb and at atmospheric pressure and high temperature up to 600° C. At high environmental pressure, plastic flow occurs at 6 kb. At high temperatures and one atmosphere, extensive plastic deformation was observed after 500° C. The resultant slip planes were of the {110} and {100} types. Transmission electron microscopy of thin foils prepared from deformed specimens shows that the Burgers' vectors of the glide dislocations are of the 111, 110 and 100 types.