Statistical description of microcracks formed during plastic fracture of molybdenum

Electron microscopy has been used to determine the functions of microcrack distribution as to sizes, orientation and other factors - on a fracture, side surface and within the volume of 99.9% pure molybdenum collapsed under uniaxial tension at a rate of 2x10-3 sec -1 and temperature of T=373 K. It is shown that microcracks develop not long before the sample failure at fragment joints and spread along their boundaries under the effect of internal tension stresses. The time interval in which cracks develop is between 0.05 and 0.1 of the total deformation cycle