The correlation between the electron work function and yield strength of metals

Abstract In this study, an effort is made to establish the correlation between electron work function (EWF) and mechanical properties of metals such as yielding strength and hardness. In general, the intrinsic resistance of metals to plastic deformation depends on their atomic bond strength that is essentially governed by the electron behavior. Based on the Peierls–Nabarro model, an intrinsic sixth‐power dependence of the yield strength of metals on their EWF is derived. Such a relation can also be extended to hardness. The established correlations are verified by the reported experimental results of transition metals and rare‐earth metals.