The application of DC electric fields is known to reduce the flow stress of metals and metal alloys while increasing the fracture strain. Several mechanisms have been put forth to explain this effect including Joule heating, electron wind force, dissolution of metallic bonds, and unpinning of dislocations due the induction of magnetic fields. None of these mechanisms on their own can sufficiently explain the full extent of electroplasticity in metals. The application of electric fields has been shown to enhance the effect of superplasticity which occurs in polycrystalline metals at high homologous temperatures (T>0.5Tm). This is likely due to the electric field reducing cavitation, which can lead to premature fracture, and grain growth, which can prevent superplastic flow due to grain boundary sliding, in addition to reducing the activation energy for grain boundary sliding. The strength of the electroplastic effect scales with the magnitude of the applied electric field past some threshold value. While the application of an electric field typically augments the plasticity of metals there are alloy systems that show a reduction in plasticity. Conrad and Li found that the activation energy for grain boundary sliding in Zn-5 wt.% Al increased by nearly 20% under the application of a 2  DC electric field, resulting in more difficult deformation.