Which mechanism causes increased brittleness when grain boundaries segregate impurities in a metal alloy?

💡 Explanation

Lattice distortion induced embrittlement causes alloy brittleness along grain boundaries due to impurity segregation. This occurs because impurities disrupt the regular lattice structure, creating stress concentrations that facilitate crack nucleation, therefore the alloy fractures more easily, rather than undergoing plastic deformation as it would with a clean lattice.

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