Polymer Properties (EBT 326)

Exp. 1 : Tensile Test

EXPERIMENT 1
Tensile Test

1.0 OBJECTIVE
1.1 To emphasis the use of tensile using Instron machine to the polymer materials.
2.0 INTRODUCTION
The mechanical properties of materials are determined by performing carefully designed
laboratory experiments that replicate as nearly as possible the service conditions. In real life,
there are many factors involved in the nature in which loads are applied on a material. The
following are some common examples of modes in which loads might be applied: tensile,
compressive, and shear. These properties are important in materials selections for mechanical
design. Other factors that often complicate the design process include temperature and time
factors.
The topic of this lab is confined to the tensile property of polymers. Figure 1 shows a
tensile testing machine; Instron machine. This test is a destructive method, in which a specimen
of a standard shape and dimensions (prepared according to ASTM D 638: standard test method
for tensile properties of plastics) is subjected to an axial load. Tensile testing is the measurement
of the ability of a material to overcome forces pulling the sample apart and the extent it stretches
before breaking. Tension test is another name of tensile test. It is material science test which a
specimen is subjected to the stress until it breaks. During a typical tensile test, a dumbbell shaped
specimen is gripped at its two ends and is pulled to elongate at a determined rate to its
breakpoint; a highly ductile polymer may not reach its breakpoint. The tensile tester used in this
lab is manufactured by Instron machine. The setup of the experiment could be changed to
accommodate different types of mechanical testing, according to the ASTM standard (e.g.
compression test, etc).

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Polymer Properties (EBT 326)

Exp. 1 : Tensile Test

From the tensile test result, the modulus of elasticity, elastic limit, elongation,
proportional limit, reduction in area, tensile strength, yield point, yield strength, strain rate, stress
rate and other tensile properties are obtained. All of this tensile properties, we can measured and
obtain it from the load versus elongation curve which is then converted into a stress versus strain
graph which produced by the tensile test machine.

Figure 1 : Stress strain curve for polymer materials

Referring to typical stress-strain curve of polymer materials as, the tensile properties defined as
follows:

Tensile stress the force applied to produce deformation in a unit area of a specimen. It
expressed in force per unit area.
stress
E= strain

Tensile strength maximum tensile stress supported by specimen during test and also

describes the stress to break the sample.

Tensile strength at break tensile strength at the moment of rupture of the sample.
Strain the change in length per unit of original length (A/I).It is expressed as a
dimensionless ratio.

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Polymer Properties (EBT 326)

Exp. 1 : Tensile Test

Elongation the increase in length of the specimen produced by a tensile load.

Yield point the first point on the stress-strain curve at which an increase in strain occurs

without the increase in stress.

Yield strength the stress at which a material exhibits a specified limiting deviation from

the proportionality of stress to strain. This stress will be at yield point.

Proportional limit the greatest stress at which a material is capable of sustaining the

applied load without any deviation from proportionality of stress to strain (Hookes Law).
Modulus of elasticity the ratio of stress to corresponding strain below the proportional

limit.
Ultimate strength the maximum stress a material will withstand when subjected to an

applied load in compression, tension or shear.

Youngs modulus initial slope of the stress-strain curves.
Toughness the area under the stress-strain curves. This area has the units of energy per
unit volume and is the work expended in deforming the materials.

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Polymer Properties (EBT 326)

Exp. 1 : Tensile Test

3.0 COMPONENTS AND EQUIPMENTS

3.1 Instron machine

Figure 2: Instron machine

3.2 Vernier caliper

Figure 3: Vernier caliper

3.3 Samples

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Figure 4: PP (pure)

Figure 5: PS

Polymer Properties (EBT 326)

Figure 6: PP (with additive)

Exp. 1 : Tensile Test

Figure 7: LDPE

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Polymer Properties (EBT 326)

Exp. 1 : Tensile Test

4.0 PROCEDURES
4.1 The polymer samples were injection-molded into dumbbell shapes.
4.2 The width, thickness and gauge length of each sample was measured using vernier
caliper in mm. These dimensions should be approximately the same for each sample.
4.3 The gap between the upper jaw and lower jaw of the Instron machine was adjusted
and set at 10cm.

Figure 8: Jaws adjusted to 10cm gap

4.4 The cross head speed of Instron machine was set at 50 mm/min.
4.5 The sample 1 was clipped tightly in between of the jaws.

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Polymer Properties (EBT 326)

Exp. 1 : Tensile Test

Figure 9: sample was clipped tightly between jaws

4.6 To start up the test, the start button of the Inston machine was pressed. The upper jaw
was proceeded to move upwards at the rate set. Once the failure occurred, the results
and stress-stain graph is automatically recorded.

Figure 10: failure occurred

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Polymer Properties (EBT 326)

Exp. 1 : Tensile Test

4.7 To allow upper jaw return to its original position, the return button of the Inston
machine was pressed.
4.8 For the next plastics samples, steps 4.3 - 4.7 were repeated.
4.9 For more details, ASTM D 638 (plastics) and ASTM D 412 (rubber) were referred
5.0 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Below are the graphs for all the experiment using pure Polypropylene (PP) using 5 samples:

Ultimate tensile
strength
Yield strength

Breakin
g
strength
point
Modulus of elasticity

Figure 11: The stress-strain curve of pure PP (sample 1) at 50 mm/min

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Polymer Properties (EBT 326)

Exp. 1 : Tensile Test

Ultimate tensile
strength

Yield
strengt
h

Modulus of elasticity

Breaking strength
point

Figure 12: The stress-strain curve of pure PP (sample 2) at 50 mm/min

Ultimate tensile strength

Yield
strengt
h

Breaking strength
Modulus of elasticity

Figure 13: The stress-strain curve of pure PP (sample 3) at 50 mm/min

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Polymer Properties (EBT 326)

Exp. 1 : Tensile Test

Ultimate tensile
strength

Yield
strengt
h

Modulus of
elasticity

Breaking
strength point

Figure 14: The stress-strain curve of pure PP (sample 4) at 50 mm/min

Ultimate tensile
strength

Yield
strengt
h

Breaking
strength point
Modulus of
elasticity

Figure 15: The stress-strain curve of pure PP (sample 5) at 50 mm/min

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Polymer Properties (EBT 326)

Exp. 1 : Tensile Test

Below are the graphs for all the experiment using Polystyrene (PS) using 4 samples (sample
2 was rejected):

Ultimate
tensile
strength

Yield
strengt
h

Breakin
g
strength
point

Modulus of

Figure 16: The stress-strain curve of PS (sample 1) at 50 mm/min

Ultimate
tensile
strength
Yield
strengt
h

Breaking
strength
point

Modulus of
elasticity

Figure 17: The stress-strain curve of PS (sample 3) at 50 mm/min

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Polymer Properties (EBT 326)

Exp. 1 : Tensile Test

Ultimate tensile
strength

Yield
strengt
h

Breakin
g
strength
point

Modulus
of

Figure 18: The stress-strain curve of PS (sample 4) at 50 mm/min

Ultimate tensile
strength

Yield
strengt
h

Breakin
g
strength
point

Modulus of
elasticity

Figure 19: The stress-strain curve of PS (sample 5) at 50 mm/min

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Polymer Properties (EBT 326)

Exp. 1 : Tensile Test

Below are the graphs for all the experiment using LDPE using 4 samples:

Yield
strength

Ultimate
tensile
strength

Breaking
strength
point

Modulus of
elasticity

Figure 20: The stress-strain curve of LDPE (sample 1) at 50 mm/min

Ultimate
tensile
strength

Yield
strength

Breaking
strength
point

Modulus of
elasticity

Figure 21: The stress-strain curve of LDPE (sample 2) at 50 mm/min

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Polymer Properties (EBT 326)

Exp. 1 : Tensile Test

Ultimate
tensile
strength

Yield
strength

Breaking
strength
point

Modulus of
elasticity

Figure 22: The stress-strain curve of LDPE (sample 3) at 50 mm/min

Yield
strength

Ultimate
tensile
strength

Breaking
strength
point

Modulus of
elasticity

Figure 23: The stress-strain curve of LDPE (sample 4) at 50 mm/min

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Polymer Properties (EBT 326)

Exp. 1 : Tensile Test

Below are the graphs for all the experiment using PP (with additive: pigment color filler) using 5
samples:

Ultimate
tensile
strength

Breaking
strength
point
Yield
strength

Modulus of
elasticity

Figure 24: The stress-strain curve of PP with additive (sample 1) at 50 mm/min

Ultimate
tensile
strength

Yield
strength
Breaking
strength
point

Modulus of
elasticity

Figure 25: The stress-strain curve of PP with additive (sample 2) at 50 mm/min

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Polymer Properties (EBT 326)

Exp. 1 : Tensile Test

Ultimate
tensile
strength
Yield
strength

Breaking
strength
point

Modulus of
elasticity

Figure 26: The stress-strain curve of PP with additive (sample 3) at 50 mm/min

Ultimate
tensile
strength

Breaking
strength
point

Yield
strength

Modulus of
elasticity

Figure 27: The stress-strain curve of PP with additive (sample 4) at 50 mm/min

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Polymer Properties (EBT 326)

Exp. 1 : Tensile Test

Ultimate
tensile
strength

Breaking
strength
point

Yield
strength

Modulus of
elasticity

Figure 28: The stress-strain curve of PP with additive (sample 5) at 50 mm/min

From Figure 11 until Figure 28 shown the stress-curve of all the material; pure PP,
additive PP, PS and LDPE were tested in the experiment using speed of 50 mm/min fixed. Those
curves showed that every material had shown different figure curves which means it varies on
their mechanical properties too. Table 1 give some information about four samples based on few
properties; modulus of elasticity, yield stress, yield strain, stress at break, strain at break and
ultimate tensile break.

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Polymer Properties (EBT 326)

5.1

Exp. 1 : Tensile Test

Based on the graph of stress-strain curves, determine all these tensile properties as

modulus, yield stress, yield strain, stress at break and strain at break are determined.
Table 1 : The highest measurement of the tensile properties based on stress versus strain graph of
four polymer at 50 mm/min rate.

Modulus
Specimen

of

Yield stress

Yield strain

elasticity

(MPa)

(%)

(MPa/%)

Stress at

Strain at

break

break

(MPa)

(%)

Ultimate
tensile
strength
(MPa)

Pure
Polypropylene

2.7

13.5

4.5

13.16

112

21.5

1.813

34.52

2.3

34.8

3.68

36.43

0.477

7.67

15.73

7.93

98.71

8.42

13.676

23.4

2.3

30.1

42.8

32.8

(PP) (sample 1)
Polystyrene
(PS) (sample 3)

Low Density
Polyethylene
(LDPE)
(sample 1)
Polypropylene
with additive
(PP) (sample 5)

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Polymer Properties (EBT 326)

Exp. 1 : Tensile Test

40
35
30
25

Modulus of elasticity (Mpa/%)

20

Yield strength (Mpa)

The value of
data
15

Ultimate tensile strength

(Mpa)

10
5
0
PP (pure)

PS

LDPE

PP (additive)

Figure 29: The chart of four tensile tests

Refer to the chart above, there are three properties of data that gained from the tensile test
are plotted into the chart, which are modulus of elasticity, yield strength and ultimate tensile
strength. Each properties are tested using four different samples which are Low Density
Polyethylene (LDPE), pure Polypropylene (PP), Polypropylene (PP) with additive and
Polystyrene (PS).
Modulus of elasticity described tensile elasticity; the tendency of an object or sample to
deform along an axis when opposing force are applied along that axis. It also defined as a
measure of the ability of a material to withstand changes in length when under lengthwise
tension or compression before the yield point which the material can return back to its original
shape. The highest value between the four samples is Polypropylene (PP) with additive with 14
Mpa/%, after that pure Polypropylene (PP) with 2.7 Mpa/%, Polystyrene (PS) with 1.8 Mpa/%
and lastly Low Density Polyethylene (LDPE) with 0.477 Mpa/%. From the result we can see that
the is Polypropylene (PP) with additive is the material that can withstand the changes happen to
it very well compare to others sample.
Yield strength refers to an indication of maximum stress that can be developed in a
material without causing plastic deformation. It is the stress at which a material exhibits a

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Polymer Properties (EBT 326)

Exp. 1 : Tensile Test

specified permanent deformation and is a practical approximation of the elastic limit. The sample
that has highest yield strength is Polystyrene (PS) with 34.54 MPa and the lowest yield strength
value obtained is 7.67 MPa which is belongs to Low Density Polyethylene (LDPE).
Last properties that has been valued is ultimate tensile strength which refer to the
maximum stress that a material can withstand while being stretch or pull, in this experiment, by
using Instron machine, before it failing or breaking. From the experiment, it has been proved that
Polystyrene (PS) has the highest ultimate tensile strength before it broke when it been stretched
with value of 36.43 MPa. The material that has lowest ultimate tensile strength is Low Density
Polyethylene (LDPE) with 8.42 MPa.
5.2 Measure area under the stress versus strain curve using Plarimeter or other methods?
What is the meaning of this area?
When a graph of stress-strain curve is plotted, the area under the graph is equal to the
toughness of the material tested.

Figure 30: Area under graph of stress-strain curve

The area under the graph can be obtained from the formula:
U = ( E * R2 ) / 2
E= modulus of elasticity (MPa/
%)
R2 = strain at break

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Polymer Properties (EBT 326)

Exp. 1 : Tensile Test

5.3 Discuss on differences of stress-strain properties (figure) for different type of samples.
How thermal history can affect microstructure and mechanical behavior of semi-crystalline
materials?
Every material that has been tested in this experiment has their own properties; structural
properties and mechanical properties. Due the varies of the properties, every materials will varies
its own stress-strain curve graph as long as its properties.
Polystyrene is a glassy, brittle polymer with low toughness and a softening temperature of
only 100C. Its advantage over other polymers is the ease with which it can be processed by
extrusion, injection and vacuum forming.
Polypropylene has higher strength and stiffness than polyethylene and better heat
resistance (melting temperature approx. 160C) so it can be used in applications where contact
with hot water and steam may be involved. In this experiment we used two types of
polypropylene which is pure and other one have additive added. A pigment color filler added
thus make the other PP is in black color compared to the yellowish color. The disadvantages of
polypropylene are its loss of flexibility at temperatures below 0C and it is more permeable to
gases than is high density polyethylene due to its lower degree of crystallinity.
The low density polyethylene (LDPE) has branched polymer chains and therefore the
structure of this grade of polyethylene is largely amorphous. It has a density of approximately
0.92 and a melting temperature of 115C. The merits of the polymer are its low cost, flexibility at
temperatures down to 120C, high toughness and chemical inertness to a wide range of liquids
and solids.
The effect on thermal history are very important on polymer should be studied in detail as
the degree of crystallinity reached by polymers depends on thid history. This crystallinity degree
in turn governs the behaviour of mechanical properties such as rigidity and resistance. It all
because when the thermoplastic is been synthesize it must be submitted to a transformation
process to obtain finished product. This process include different variable which influence the
final characterizations of the product. The most important of them are thermal history given to
the polymer during the solidification process and molecular weight.

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Polymer Properties (EBT 326)

Exp. 1 : Tensile Test

When the thermoplastic polymer had been done synthesized, the thermoplastic must be
submitted to a transformation process to determine the end result of the product. This process
include different variable, which influences the result of the products, which the most important
of them is the thermal history given to the polymer during the solidification process and
molecular weight. Since the degree of crystanility reached by these polymers which is also
depend on this history, this crystanility in turns governs the mechanical behavior of properties
such as tenacity, resistance and rigidity .
When semi-crystalline polymers are used in manufacturing, process of finished products,
heat transfer will take places when it is undergoes solidification. Consequently, non-uniform
crystallinity profiles can be produced in material or more than one physical crystalline structure
can be developed on the walls of the plastic products manufactured.
Thus the development of the suitable method to characterized and analyze the influences
of thermal history given to a plastic product, consisting of semi-crystalline polymers at the time
its manufactured will help to optimize processing cycles and design a proper control of the
thermal parameters involved.

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Polymer Properties (EBT 326)

Exp. 1 : Tensile Test

6.0 CONCLUSION

As the conclusion, from this experiment, the objective which is to emphasis the use of tensile
using Instron Machine to the polymer materials is successfully achieved. We had improved the
knowledge of handling Instron machine and its software which is very useful especially to
survive in the material engineering field. Besides that, we also have learnt on how to read the
stress-strain graph and interpret all the information that given graph.

7.0 REFERENCES
[1]

W. F. Smith and J. Hashemi. Foundation of Materials Science and Engineering, 5th. ed.

New York: The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc, 2011, pp. 230-235

[2]

Mrs Anis Sofia Sufian and Dr Mohd Firdaus Omar, Laboratory Manual for Polymer

Properties, Universiti Malaysia Perlis, Perlis, 2014. [Lectures]. Available: UniMAP Portal,
http://portal.unimap.edu.my [accessed on 9 Sept. 2015].
[3]

W.D. Callister, Fundamental of materials science and engineering/an interactive e.

text,2001, John Willey & Sons, Inc., New York, ISBN 0-471-39551-x.

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