Critical resolved shear stress

Critical resolved shear stress is the component of shear stress, resolved in the direction of slip, necessary to initiate slip in a grain. It is a constant for a given metal.

Additional recommended knowledge

Correct Test Weight Handling Guide: 12 Practical Tips

How to quickly check pipettes?

What is the Correct Way to Check Repeatability in Balances?

Tests have been conducted on single crystals of metals, measuring the shearing stress (Fs divided by area) required to just initiate plastic deformation, or slip. Since this is a threshold value, it is referred to as critical, and since it is a component of the applied force or stress, it is said to be resolved; that is, the critical resolved shear stress.

The equation of CRSS is given by τ = σ cos Φ cos λ where Φ is the angle between the slip plane direction and the direction of the applied force and λ is the angle between the normal of the slip plane and the direction of the applied force.