The effect of precipitation hardening on the Hg-induced embrittlement of a Cu–Be alloy

In bending tests of notched bars of a Cu–0.29% Be alloy wetted with mercury, it is shown that liquid-metal embrittlement occurs with negligible plasticity in the fully hardened condition, but only after increasing amounts of strain hardening as the hardness decreases, until at low hardness embrittlement does not occur.