YIELD STRESS, y

• Boundary stress between elastic & plastic deformation regions

• Difficult to assess threshold over which elastic behavior deviates
from linearity (related to so-called proportional limit)

Trade ε = 0.2 % tensile stress, 

• Yield stress determines y
resistance of a material to
plastic strain

engineering strain, 
10 February 2015 p = 0.002 25
 COMPARISON OF YIELD STRESS
Graphite/
Metals/ Composites/
Ceramics/ Polymers
Alloys fibers
Semicond
20 00
Steel (4140) qt
y(ceramics)
10 00
>>y(metals)
y (MPa)

Ti (5Al-2.5Sn) a
W (pure)
700
600 Cu (71500) cw >> y(polymers)

in ceramic matrix and epoxy matrix composites, since

500 Mo (pure)

since in tension, fracture usually occurs before yield.

in tension, fracture usually occurs before yield.

Steel (4140) a
400
Steel (1020) cd
300
Al (6061) ag ,

Hard to measure,
Steel (1020) hr Room T values
Hard to measure
200 ¨
Ti (pure) a
Ta (pure)
Cu (71500) hr
Yield strength,

100
dry
70 PC
60 Al (6061) a Nylon 6,6
50 PET
humid
40 PVC
PP
30 HDPE

20

LDPE 26
Tin (pure)
10