It was recalled that the mechanical properties of metals were most sensitive to the presence of point defects. The influence of point defects on the kinetics of plastic deformation was highly diverse: the point defects could be the main carriers of plastic deformation (diffusion creep, crowdion plasticity, etc.), could imitate the velocity of non-conservative motion of dislocations, and could serve as centers of pinning of dislocations.

Study of the Influence of Vacancies and Vacancy Complexes on the Yield Limit of Al Subjected to Strain Aging. N.V.Kamyshanchenko, A.V.Galtsev, I.M.Neklyudov: Russian Physics Journal, 2008, 51[3], 240-3