Modification of the strength of solids by chemisorption

Abstract The fact that the mechanical behavior of a solid may be affected by conditions at its surface is technologically well known. High-strength aluminum alloys fail prematurely when exposed under stress to chloride-containing environments. Liquid lithium severely embrittles polycrystalline iron and copper but not aluminum. Glassy polymers such as polycarbonate are degraded mechanically when exposed to certain organic environments. The plasticity and fracture of semiconductors and insulators are sensitive to adsorbed surface-active agents. The phenomenology and current thinking on many of these issues were treated in detail in a recent NATO Advanced Study Institute1 and in earlier reviews.2–6