“Mechanical Properties of Materials Tension Test”

Laboratory Class 2 University of Strathclyde

Ermand Mani - 25 marzo 2015


LABATORY CLASS 2 PLASTIC - STEEL TENSILE TEST ERMAND MANI

 Introduzione

The tensile test is fundamental for engineers, because it provides

fundamental information about the material and its associated properties.
The purpose this test is to analyze the properties of the material used for a
specific engineering structure, and to develop new materials which can
used for specified use.

The experiment

Two sample with different materials have been tested, including a PVC
plastic specimen and a steel specimen.
One samples of each
material were tested in the
testing room, and the data
gathered into an Excel
spreadsheet. The data was
used to calculate various
properties of each
material, including the
elastic modulus, yield
strength, ultimate tensile
strength. The data was
then plotted on
engineering stress-strain
curves to compare the
samples.
Fig. 1. A typical load frame used for tensile testing.

The main purpose of this experiment was to gather information about each
material so that important mechanical properties could be determined. The
data used for this lab report was not gathered from the student run
experiments, by the laboratory professor, to ensure accurate and consistent
results.

LABATORY CLASS 2 PLASTIC - STEEL TENSILE TEST ERMAND MANI

 Procedure

1) Measure the three dimensions of the specimen for the test.

2) Load the specimen, into the jaws of the tensile testing machine.
3) The machine, during the test, will provide data that will be used to the
determine the modulus of elasticity, yielding stress and maximum
strength.
4) Repeat the test with each specimen and record the remaining data given
from the computer.
5) Calculate the tensile stress and the engineering tensile strain
6) Plot the stress vs strain curve for each material and determine:
elastic modulus E
yield stress σy
ultimate strength σu
breaking strength σb
7) Examine each specimen after the failure characterized and note the
degree of necking and the orientation of the failure surface

LABATORY CLASS 2 PLASTIC - STEEL TENSILE TEST ERMAND MANI

 Specimen Dimentions

Steel Specimen dimensions: Plastic Specimen dimensions:

b= 10 mm (width) b= 9.9 mm (width)

t= 3 mm (thickness) t= 3 mm (thickness)
L° = 100 mm (length of the test section) L° = 100mm (length of the test section)

Specimen Mechanics Dimentions

Steel Plastic

Breaking Load 73.24 N 7.25 N

Extension at break 7.73mm 13.34mm

Axial strain at break 0.011mm/mm 0.1915mm/mm

Young’s Modulus 0.005mm/mm 0.005mm/mm

LABATORY CLASS 2 PLASTIC - STEEL TENSILE TEST ERMAND MANI

 Calculations

Cross section Area Steel = 0.01 x 0.03 = 3x10-5 mm2

-5 2
Cross section Area Plastic =0.009 x 0.03 = 2.97x10 mm

Determine for plastic

• Engineering tensile strain ε = ΔL/ Lo

ε = ΔL/ Lo,
= 100/107.72 = 0.0928 mm/mm

• Elastic modulus (E) E = ∆σ/∆ε

E = ∆σ/∆ε
= 50.83/0.928 = 54.75 MPa


Determine for steel

• Engineering tensile strain ε = ΔL/ Lo

ε = ΔL/ Lo,
= 100/113.34 = 0.882 mm/mm

• Elastic modulus (E) E = ∆σ/∆ε

E = ∆σ/∆ε
= 115.33/0.882 = 130.7 MPa

** see sheet attached for

LABATORY CLASS 2 PLASTIC - STEEL TENSILE TEST ERMAND MANI

 Graphic explanation of the tensile stresses

Graph: Stress VS Strain - Steel

115.33MPa

LABATORY CLASS 2 PLASTIC - STEEL TENSILE TEST ERMAND MANI

 Specimen Mechanics Properties
Plastic Steel

σy (MPa) 2.98MPa 80MPa

σu (MPa) 50.83MPa 115.33MPa

σb (MPa) 45.62MPa 100.69MPa

E (GPa) 54.75MPa 130.7MPa

Mechanical Properties of the tensile test

Steel Specimen

2’:00’’ The didn’t change after 2 minutes from

the testing started.
3’:00’’ The failure is taking place. It looks a
slightly thinner
3’:10’’ The material is not connected, it breaks
roughly in the middle
Fig. 2. Fractured steel member

Plastic Specimen
1:00’’ The stress and strain looks the same as
the started point.
1:43’’ The failure takes place on the weakest
point probably because it is the point of
faulty part of the specimen.
1:45’’ The material has been stretched and
broke Fig. 3. Fractured plastic member

LABATORY CLASS 2 PLASTIC - STEEL TENSILE TEST ERMAND MANI

 Oservations
Degree of necking
Steel
The steel material split in the middle as shown in Fig. 2.
Plastic
The plastic material split in the point where it is supposed the material
could be faulty

Observation of fracture plane

Steel
The fracture of the plane for the steel material, as shown in Fig. 2., is
parallel to its base and perpendicular to the force applied
Plastic
The fracture of the plastic material as shown in Fig. 3., has a particulare
shape “N” due to the point where the material is supposed to be faulty.

Theoretical Comparison
*** SEE THEE ATTACHED SHEET FOR THE COMPLETE EXPLANATION ***

STEEL Plastic

E= 69’000’000 / 0.002 = 34GPa E= 8’000’000 / 0.002 = 4GPa

Ex = 34GPa Ex = 4GPa
Es = 210GPa Es = 2.5GPa

Therefore Therefore

((210-34)/210 ) x 100 = 16.2 % ((2.5-4)/2.5) x100 = 60 %

LABATORY CLASS 2 PLASTIC - STEEL TENSILE TEST ERMAND MANI

 Conclusion
Was interesting to observe the plastic behavior from stress VS strain
graph, where the plastic sample suddenly loses stress as it is stretched. The
plastic sample has fractured the top section before complete failure as
shown in the picture

From the ultimate tensile strength data, it is clear that steel member was
the strongest material. The plastic deformation is due to work hardening as
the material is plastically deformed.
During the experiment, especially when the stretch forces are acting in the
member, there is a higher error at low values of true plastic strain,
especially near the yield strain, where plastic strain is essentially zero.
Only the plastic sample did exhibit the power hardening behavior as we
can see from the Specimen Mechanics Properties table.
The errors may could not be relevant if we use different models that that
have got a better shape for the engineering stress-strain curve.

LABATORY CLASS 2 PLASTIC - STEEL TENSILE TEST ERMAND MANI