Plastic deformation is a type of deformation in which a material undergoes a permanent change in shape, meaning it does not return to its original shape after the applied force is removed.

Creep is the gradual and time-dependent deformation of a material under constant stress, typically occurring at elevated temperatures.

Brittle fracture is a type of fracture that occurs suddenly and without significant plastic deformation, resulting in a clean and sharp fracture surface.

Fatigue is the progressive and localized failure of a material under cyclic loading, typically resulting from the accumulation of damage during repeated loading and unloading.

Fracture toughness is a measure of a material's resistance to fracture, quantifying the amount of energy required to propagate a crack.

Cleavage is a microscopic mechanism of crack propagation in which the crack advances along specific crystallographic planes, resulting in a smooth and flat fracture surface.

Intergranular fracture is a type of fracture that occurs along grain boundaries, typically due to the presence of impurities or weak bonds at the grain boundaries.

Work hardening is the process of strengthening a material by introducing defects or imperfections into its microstructure through mechanical deformation, such as rolling, forging, or drawing.

Annealing is a type of heat treatment process used to relieve internal stresses and improve toughness by heating the material to a high temperature and then slowly cooling it.

Quenching is the process of rapidly cooling a material from a high temperature to obtain a harder and stronger microstructure, typically by immersing it in water, oil, or other quenching media.

Tempering is a type of heat treatment process used to reduce the hardness and increase the toughness of a quenched material by heating it to a lower temperature and then cooling it slowly.

Brittle fracture is the phenomenon in which a material undergoes a sudden and catastrophic failure at a stress level significantly lower than its yield strength, typically resulting in a clean and sharp fracture surface.

Stress corrosion cracking is a type of fracture that occurs due to the combined effects of stress and a corrosive environment, resulting in the formation of cracks and eventual failure.

Embrittlement is the phenomenon in which a material exhibits a decrease in its strength and ductility over time when exposed to elevated temperatures, making it more susceptible to brittle fracture.

Ultrasonic testing is a type of non-destructive testing method used to detect cracks and other defects in materials by transmitting high-frequency sound waves through the material and analyzing the reflected waves.