Uniaxial tensile test

Deformation behavior : stress-strain curve

Properties obtained from tensile test
Hardness of materials
Impact testing
Fracture mechanics
Importance of fracture mechanics
Crack analysis
Fatigue testing
S-N curve
Creep behavior of materials

1
Uniaxial tensile test of materials must follow ASTM (American Standard for
Testing and Materials) standards:
ASTM E8/E8M-13a : Standard Test Method for Tensile Properties of Metals
ASTM E21 09 : Standard Test Methods for Elevated Temperature Tension
Tests of Metallic Materials
ASTM D638-10 : Standard Test Method for Tensile Properties of Plastics
ASTM D7205 / D7205M 06 : Standard Test Method for Tensile Properties
of Fiber Reinforced Polymer Matrix Composite Bars

Other standards include: DIN (Deutsches Institut fr Normung German

institute for standardization), ISO (International Standard Organization), etc.

2
Tensile specimen geometry and load rate according to ASTM E8

Nomenclature of tensile test specimen

3
Tensile specimen geometry and load rate according to ASTM E8

Round tensile test specimen as per ASTM E8

4
Flat tensile test specimen as per ASTM E8

5
Notched tensile test specimen as per ASTM E338 Standard test method of
sharp-notch tension testing of high strength sheet materials

6
Speed of testing is extremely important because the mechanical properties of
materials are the function of strain rate

In general, a slow speed results in lower strength and larger ductility values
than fast speed. This tendency is more pronounced for lower-strength materials
than for higher strength and is the reason that tension test must be conducted
within a narrow test-speed range.

According to ASTM E8, the strain rate for steel and Al alloys is about 5x10-5 s-1
and 15x10-5 s-1 , respectively.

Applied force : load cell

Extension/elongation (change is length) : extensometer
Diameter variation : extensometer

7
Engineering and True stress-strain curves

Engineering stress or F True stress or Cauchy F

Piola-Kirchhoff stress Ao stress
Ar

The reduced area Ar can be calculated through volume conservation principle

Vinitial V final
Ao Lo Af L f
Experimentally, the
Do2 Lo
Ao Lo 4 reduced area can only
Af
Lf Lo L be calculated in a
notched specimen

8
Material resistance to scratching, indentation, and penetration

ASTM E18 : Standard test method for Rockwell hardness and Rockwell
Superficial hardness for metallic materials

ASTM E10 : Standard test method for Brinell hardness of metallic materials

ASTM E92 : Standard test method for Vickers hardness of metallic materials

Take the clean specimen (no special specimen preparation is required*)

Apply the indentation on the specimen surface
Measure the difference in penetration depths or the dimensions of
indentation
Calculate the hardness number through the specified equation

* Except micro and nano hardness tests

9
10
11


[1] Q. Furnmont, M. Kempf, P.J. Jacques, M. Gken, F. Delannay, 2002, On the measurement of the
nanohardness of the constitutive phases of TRIP-assisted multiphase steels, Material Science and Engineering
A, 328, 26-32

12
13
Failure analysis cannot be avoided in design
15
 c
s
2 2 2
ds s 2 rt 2 at
o
E E E
2
a
E
2f f Fracture strength
c ac
E ac = Critical crack length
 K I K Ic

K
ij (r , ) fij ( ) higher order terms
2 r

K Stress intensity factor

fij ( ) = Dimensionless parameter

K

a
 KI 3
xx cos 1 sin sin
2 r 2 2 2

KI 3
yy cos 1 sin sin
2 r 2 2 2

KI 3
xy cos sin sin
2 r 2 2 2
 a
m 2 0
r

2 E E Young's modulus
c Surface energy per unit area
a
 www.davis-stirling.com

[1] Griffith, A.A., 1920, The phenomenon of rupture and flow in solids, Philosophical
Transactions, Series A, Vol. 221, 163-198
[2] Irwin, G.R., 1948, Fracture dynamics, Fracturing of Metals, American Society of
Metals, Cleveland, OH, 147-166