Ductile materials show brittle behavior as the temperature is lowered. This is known as ductile-brittle transition.
Ductile-brittle transition behavior of materials is studied by performing impact test over a range of temperatures.
The transition behavior is:
- Sudden in BCC metals (eg: Steel)
- Gradual in FCC metals (eg: Copper)
Ductile-Brittle Transition Temperature
The temperature which a material is:
- brittle below the temperature
- ductile above the temperature
Many steels exhibit this behaviour.