Plastic Deformation of Cuprous Oxide

Abstract
Slip line and transmission electron microscopy observations on the plastic deformation of cuprous oxide were made on large‐grained polycrystalline specimens. The specimens were prepared by the complete oxidation of OFHC copper strips in air followed by a high‐temperature anneal. Plastic deformation occurred by motion of α(100) dislocations on (100) glide planes. Some dislocation segments of a(110) Burgers vector were present but were probably formed by recombination reactions between α(100) dislocations. The unusual structure of Cu20, which can be described as two interpenetrating and identical frameworks of copper and oxygen which are not cross‐connected by any primary copper–oxygen bonds, did not result in any unusual behavior of dislocations. The effect of temperature on plasticity was explained in the same way as for other materials of less complex structure, such as MgO.