Plasticity and decomposition of whiskers on electric-induced deformation

Abstract

The purpose of the work is to study the influence of weak electric fields (1–10 V/cm) on the micro and macroplasticity of whisker crystals of silver azide. The paper considers the processes occurring in the crystals of silver azide on the indentation in noncontact electric field. One of the processes is the indenter-induced movement of unfixed dislocations, which is the evidence of crystals microplasticity, followed by the accumulation of dislocations at the impediments of different nature. Further, this causes the change in linear dimensions of the crystals and the return to original dimensions, which is the evidence of macroplasticity. After deformation, a greater number of dislocations are formed, which stops the formation of the reaction areas where outgassing is observed. A method for controlling the whiskers stability and reactivity using the microindentation in electric field is proposed.