What is “plastic” deformation in the context of metal?
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"Elastic" deformation means the material deforms under load and then returns to its original shape after the load is removed.
"Plastic" deformation means after the load is removed, the material does not return to its original shape.
A spring is the canonical example of elastic deformation; it returns to its original position when the load is removed. A dent in a car (or a bent frame) is an example of plastic deformation.
The hydrocarbon compound we know of as "plastic" got its name from this phenomenon (more precisely both the compound and the phenomenon got their names from a Greek origin word meaning "capable of being shaped or molded".)