What does hot working involve?

Hot working involves the process of deforming metals at temperatures that are above their recrystallization temperature. This is significant because when metals are heated beyond this threshold, they become more malleable and ductile, allowing them to be easily shaped and formed without the risk of cracking or fracturing.

At elevated temperatures, new grains are able to form and grow, which eliminates the buildup of dislocations that often occurs in cold working processes. This leads to improved mechanical properties and the ability to create complex shapes and structures. The capability to shape metals while maintaining ductility is especially useful in industries such as aerospace, automotive, and manufacturing.

The other options reflect different concepts: deforming metals at low temperatures relates to cold working, recrystallization without deformation does not fully encapsulate the hot working process, and freezing methods to shape metals describes a completely different approach in manufacturing that is not applicable to the hot working process.