[M.D. Holloway]

Now as to why, well thats a good question. What are the factors effecting metal to experience brittle failure?
• Crystal structure
• Interstitial atom
• Grain size
• Heat treatment
Brittle fracture occurs the metal doesn’t yield before it breaks. Instead of the sheets of atoms in the metal sliding over each other as occurs in deformation, when stressed, the sheets of atoms pull completely apart. This type of fracture most often occurs in metals that are extremely hard. Brittle fracture almost always occurs at low temperatures.