Mechanical

Property
Testing
Part 1

Introduction:
Properties of Engineering Materials
Design considerations relate needs to
properties
What materials meet our design
requirements?
Can you assure the quality and
properties of a given piece or batch of
material?

Mechanical Property
Testing:
Static tests
Tensile
Bend
Compression
Creep
Hardness

Dynamic tests
Impact
Fatigue
Wear

Tensile Test:
Conditions:
static loading
room temperature

Standard specimen
Cylindrical shape
Diameter = 0.505 inches; Ao = 0.2 sq
in.
Gauge length = 2.0 inches

Crude test
Load vs. Elongation (stretch)

Tensile Test Schematic

Load-stretch axes

Load-stretch elastic

Problem: - data depends on

geometry!
Same load will be more intense on
smaller cross-section specimens
Longer gage length will have more
stretch more than shorter gage
length
Want data that describes the
material, not the material and its
geometry
Therefore, we need to remove
geometric effects

Simple Solution:
Engineering Stress vs Engineering Strain

Define Engineering Stress as:

Load / Original Area
Load/ Ao
Define Engineering Strain as:
Stretch / Original Gage Length
(L Lo) / Lo

Engineering Stress Strain

 Elastic region
Slope Stiffness
Youngs Modulus E = /
(Also called Modulus of Elasticity)

Stretching of atomic bonds

Sum of forces = 0 with added applied
load
Recoverable i.e. elastic
Compare materials

Extent where does plastic

deformation begin? (i.e. dislocations
begin to move)
Yield point
Offset yield strength

A Stiffness Comparison

Yield point diagram

Typical Stress - Strain

Curve

Offset Yield Strength

 Plastic region:
Why a positive slope?
What is this telling us?

Chain analogy & strain hardening

Plastic deformation strengthens the
metal!

Ultimate tensile strength maximum

attained stress
Necking begins at ultimate tensile
strength
Breaking strength

Load = Strength x Area

d(Load) = Str (dA) + A (dStr)
Since dA is negative, a positive
d(Load)
is only possible if the (dStr) term is
an over-riding positive!

 Ductility
Elongation at Fracture
(Lf-Lo) / Lo x 100%

Reduction in area
(Ao-Af) / Ao x 100%

Glass and bubble gum examples

 True stress and strain:

Points in plastic region are not correct
(area is changing during the test!)
True Stress = Load/ Aactual
True Strain = ln (Lf / Lo)

Strain hardening coefficient (n)

true= K truen
Determined from true stress true strain
curve

True stress-strain vs Engineering stressstrain

Effect of Elevated
Temperature:
Decrease in strength and stiffness
Modulus of Elasticity
Yield strength
Tensile Strength

Increase in ductility
Elongation
Reduction in area

Other Tests:
Bend tests
3 point bending
Flexural strength
Flexural modulus

Compression test
Account for friction at contacts