cold work
Definition
- Verb:
- To shape (metal) without heat: The process of deforming or working a metal at or near room temperature, which increases its strength and hardness but reduces its ductility. This is in contrast to "hot work," where metal is shaped while it is heated.
Usage Examples
- Verb:
- The artisan will cold work the copper sheet to create a decorative bowl. (The artisan will shape the copper sheet without using heat to create a decorative bowl.)
- This alloy is difficult to cold work because it becomes too brittle. (This alloy is difficult to shape without heat because it becomes too brittle.)
- They cold worked the steel to improve its tensile strength. (They deformed the steel at room temperature to improve its ability to resist tension.)
Advanced Usage
- Technical/Industrial Context: The term is primarily used in metallurgy, manufacturing, and metalworking.
- The component's final properties were achieved by a combination of cold work and annealing.
- As a Noun (Gerund): The process itself can be referred to as "cold working."
- Cold working introduces dislocations into the metal's crystal structure.
Variants and Related Words
- Cold working (n): The noun form referring to the process.
- Cold working is a common method for hardening non-heat-treatable alloys.
- Work-hardening (n): A closely related term describing the increase in strength resulting from cold work.
- The wire's strength comes from work-hardening during drawing.
Synonyms
- Work-harden: To strengthen a metal by plastic deformation at low temperatures.
- Strain-harden: A more technical synonym emphasizing the role of strain (deformation).
Related Phrases/Compounds
- Cold-rolled: Describes metal, especially sheet or strip, that has been cold worked by rolling.
- Cold-rolled steel has a smoother surface finish.
- Cold-drawn: Describes metal, especially wire or tube, that has been cold worked by pulling through a die.
- Cold-drawn bars have precise dimensions and good surface quality.
Verb
-
shape (metal) without heat
