
334 Computational Modelling of Biomechanics and Biotribology
Comparing a comprehensive set of literature data on the effect of the
structure of metals and their alloys and chemical composition on the
embrittlement phenomena in materials, it is possible to identify the key
structural factors affecting the course of decohesion (Maciejny, 1992):
crystallographic factor, expressed by the kind and degree to which a •
crystallographic network is lled,
order and periodicity of building a solid solution, •
substitutional and interstitial impurity atoms, •
density of point and linear defects, •
surface defects in the form of grain boundaries ...