The deformation behavior of metallic materials is modified by the presence of grain boundaries. When polycrystalline materials are deformed, additional stresses over and above those externally imposed on the material are induced. These stresses result from the constraint of the grain boundaries on the deformation of incompatible grains. This incompatibility can be elastic or plastic in nature. One of the mechanisms by which these stresses can be relieved is the activation of secondary slip systems. Secondary slip systems have been shown to relieve elastic and plastic compatibility stresses. The deformation of tungsten bicrystals is interesting, due to the elastic isotropy of the material, which implies that the entire compatibility stress field will exist due to plastic incompatibility. The work described here shows TEM observations of the activation of secondary slip in tungsten bicrystals with a [110] twist boundary oriented with the plane normal parallel to the stress axis.
