The strain hardening exponent (also called strain hardening index), noted as n, is a materials constant which is used in calculations for stress-strain behaviour in work hardening.

In the formula σ = k ε ⁿ, σ represents the applied stress on the material, ε is the strain and K is a certain materials constant. The value of the strain hardening exponent lies between 0 and 1. A value of 0 means that a material is a perfectly plastic solid, while a value of 1 represents a 100% elastic solid. Most metals have an n value between 0.10 and 0.50.

External link

• More complete picture about the strain hardening exponent in the stress-strain curve on www.key-to-steel.com

Metalworking | Structural engineering | Continuum mechanics