Alloys not amenable to heat treatment, including low-carbon steel, are often work-hardened. Some materials cannot be work-hardened at low temperatures, such as indium, however others can be strengthened only via work hardening, such as pure copper and aluminum.
Can tungsten work harden?
Refractory and transition metal carbides are typical materials with high hardness. … The results indicated that tungsten carbide could be hardened by alloying elements with high work functions to tailor the Fermi level and electron density.
Does tool steel work harden?
Work Hardening Overview
During machining, the friction between the tool and the workplace generates heat. The heat that is transferred to the workpiece causes the structure of the material to change and in turn harden the material.