On stress-relaxation experiments and their significance under strain-aging conditions

Two simple tests are presented to verify whether the mechanical response of the substructure remains constant during stress relaxation. They consist of a) subjecting the sample to repeated relaxation cycles from the same reference load and b) reloading the sample after the last cycle. Either exhaustion of relaxation after repeated cycles or yield-point formation on reloading are indicative of a decrease in the mobile dislocation density. Accordingly, a method is developed for the determination of the time dependence of the mobile dislocation density, using the decrease in relaxation rates in repeated cycling. The exhaustion of relaxation in Armco iron is found to be in good agreement with predictions for the decrease of mobile dislocation density by a pinning mechanism.