Influences of tensile strain and strain rate on the electron work function of metals and alloys

Abstract The effect of deformation on the electronic work function (EWF) has been well documented and the dislocation mechanism responsible for the change in the EWF due to deformation has been postulated. This letter reports our recent experimental investigations on the change in the EWF of tensile specimens using a scanning Kelvin probe. It was demonstrated that both strain and strain rate can decrease the EWF, which is consistent with the previous experimental observations using different deformation conditions and which basically supports the postulation.