Critical resolved shear stress

Critical resolved shear stress is the component of shear stress, resolved in the direction of slip, necessary to initiate slip in a grain. It is a constant for a given metal.

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Tests have been conducted on single crystals of metals, measuring the shearing stress (Fs divided by area) required to just initiate plastic deformation, or slip. Since this is a threshold value, it is referred to as critical, and since it is a component of the applied force or stress, it is said to be resolved; that is, the critical resolved shear stress.

The equation of CRSS is given by τ = σ cos Φ cos λ where Φ is the angle between the slip plane direction and the direction of the applied force and λ is the angle between the normal of the slip plane and the direction of the applied force.