Anomalous strain-rate effect on plasticity of a Mo–Re alloy at room temperature

Tensile tests were conducted on a fully recrystallized 50Mo–50Re alloy, in the form of 0.216 mm thick sheet, at different strain rates ranging from 10−6 to 1 s−1 at room temperature. It was found that the total elongation of the alloy increased significantly with increasing strain rate. Plastic deformation was found to occur by both slip and twinning in this alloy. The fracture surface changed from brittle to ductile with increase in strain rate. The decrease in ductility at low strain rates in this alloy is possibly related to the interaction between dislocations and trace interstitial elements.