Strain hardening exponent

The strain hardening exponent (also called strain hardening index), noted as n, is a material's constant which is used in calculations for stress–strain behavior in work hardening. It occurs in the formula known as Hollomons equation after John Herbert Hollomon Jr. who originally proposed it: The strain hardening exponent (also called strain hardening index), noted as n, is a material's constant which is used in calculations for stress–strain behavior in work hardening. It occurs in the formula known as Hollomons equation after John Herbert Hollomon Jr. who originally proposed it: σ = K ε n,where σ represents the applied stress on the material,ε is the strain,and K is the strength coefficient. 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 a n value between 0.10 and 0.50.