Cold work (CW) is the result of the mechanical
plastic deformation of a metal (alloy) at
relatively low (ambient) temperatures. With
increasing amount of CW, the hardness and
strength of the material increases. That is, a
CW microstructure has a higher yield stress
and lower elongation to failure than a non-CW
or annealed microstructure of the same chemical
composition. In a CW microstructure, the
grains of the metal are deformed, and the density
of dislocations is several orders of magnitude
higher than in an annealed microstructure.