Ductility

Definition

Ductility is the property that allows a substance (usually metal) to be drawn out into a wire.

Related terms

Tensile Strength: The maximum amount of tensile (pulling) stress that an object/material can take before failure i.e., before breaking or permanent deformation occurs.

Brittleness: A characteristic of materials that break or shatter instead of bending when subjected to stress; opposite of ductility.

Strain Hardening (Work Hardening): The process by which metal becomes stronger and harder due to plastic deformation caused by heat treatment or through working such as hammering or bending.