Work softening in nanocrystalline materials induced by dislocation annihilation

Cold rolling reduces the quantity of dislocation densities in Ni–18% Fe alloys prepared by electrochemical deposition. The dislocation density evolution proposed earlier for the linearly decreasing work-hardening rate during stage III is revisited. The solution of the differential equation predicts that when the initial dislocation density is smaller or larger than the saturation value, then the dislocation density will increase or decrease during further plastic deformation. The predictions are verified by experimental values of dislocation densities determined by X-ray line-profile analysis.