Hydrostatic pressure and the mechanical properties of NaCl polycrystals

Abstract
The influence of hydrostatic pressure on the mechanical properties of extrusion-recrystallized NaCl polycrystals is examined. Interrupted compression tests show no effect of pressurization alone on the flow stress of these polycrystals. Small decreases in the flow stress occur upon reloading the specimen, regardless of the pressurization treatments, and are attributed to recovery between tests. These results, which are in contrast with reported tests on melt-grown polycrystals, show that the decrease in strength observed for polycrystals deformed in situ at 10 kbar, relative to those deformed at 1 atm, is not due to an increased density of mobile dislocations caused by pressurization alone.
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