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Stress Strain Curve : Strength of Materials

Table of Contents

Why do we need Stress Strain Curve?

What is Mechanical Stress and Strain?
How Stress-Strain Graph is Plotted?
Stress-Strain Curve for Ductile Materials
Why Stress Strain Curve is Used?
Engineering Stress-Strain Curve vs True Stress Strain Curve

Why do we need Stress Strain Curve?

Parts or components in the real world have to withstand external forces during its lifetime.
These external forces with defined factor of safety are considered during product design.
Therefore new parts are designed in such a way that it can withstand these external forces.
Stress Strain Curve represents the behavior of a material when external force is applied to it.

Product design engineers, FEA engineers use stress strain diagrams for manual calculation and
simulation studies to understand the behavior of a material during product actual working
conditions. In this article we will discuss “Engineering and True Stress-Strain-curve” for ductile
and brittle materials.

To understand the Stress-Strain graph, let’s first understand what is Stress and Strain?

What is Mechanical Stress and Strain?

Mechanical Stress is a measure of internal resistance

exhibited by a body or material when an external force is
applied to it. Mathematically mechanical stress is equal to the
internal resisting force acting on a body per unit area.

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Strain in mechanics measures the deformation in a material

when stress is applied to it. Mathematically Mechanical strain
is equal to the ratio of change in length to the original length.

How Stress-Strain Graph is Plotted?

Tensile testing on standard test specimen is done using Universal Testing Machine to plot
Engineering and True Stress Strain Curve for a material.

As shown in above image, UTM consists of two claws that are used to hold and pull the
extreme ends of the test specimen at a uniform rate.

During tensile testing, change in the length of the test specimen with respect to applied load is
recorded in various time stamps until test sample fractures. These values are used to determine
variation in stress acting on the test sample with respect to strain value.

Afterwards the stress strain graph is plotted by keeping mechanical stress values on the vertical
axis and strain value on the horizontal axis.

Stress-Strain Curve for Ductile Materials

The Stress Strain Curve for ductile material is plotted using standard test specimens on a
universal testing machine. During this testing various observations are taken and plotted on the
graph. We will discuss each of these important points on Stress-Strain Graph in detail:

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Stress Strain Diagram for Ductile Material

Proportional Limit (From "O" to "A")

According to Hooke’s Law, Proportional limit (O-A) is the limit where stress is directly
proportional to strain. Within the proportional limit, The Stress-strain curve is a straight line
(from “O” to “A”). Young Modulus of Elasticity ( ratio of stress and strain) for a material is
constant within proportional limit.

Elastic Limit (From "O" to "B")

Elastic Limit for a material is the limit beyond which the material will not come back to its
original shape when the external force is removed. In the stress strain curve, from point A to B
(Yield Point) material exhibits elastic properties.

If external load (stress) is increased beyond the elastic limit, the material will not come back to
its original shape.

Upper Yield Point (Point B)

Beyond the elastic limit, a ductile material exhibits plastic properties. Upper yield point is the
point where maximum stress is required to initiate plastic deformation inside the material.
Strength of a material corresponding to Point B is known as yield strength.

Lower Yield Point (Point C)

After Point C, material length will increase with a very small increase in tensile load (stress). In
other words Lower Yield Point is the point where minimum load is required to exhibit plastic
behavior in the material.

Ultimate Tensile Strength (Point D)

Material Strength corresponding to Point D on the stress strain diagram indicates ultimate
tensile strength of the material. Ultimate tensile strength of a material is the maximum stress a
material can withstand before breaking. After this point necking starts inside the material.

Rapture / Fracture / Breaking Strength (Point E)

Point E is the point where material fracture or breaks. Stress associated with this point is known
as breaking strength of a material.

Stress Strain Diagram comparison for Ductile Brittle and Plastic

Materials

Most materials available in the market can be classified in three categories.

1. Ductile
2. Brittle
3. Plastic Materials

Each of these materials exhibit different behavior when external force is applied to them. We
can understand behavior of these materials by analyzing their stress-strain curve.

Ductile Brittle and Plastic Material Example

Ductile Materials

As shown, ultimate stress point and fracture point are not the same in the stress strain diagram
for ductile materials. Ductile material exhibits elastic as well as plastic deformation. Copper,
aluminum, steel etc. are the examples of ductile materials.

For Example, During sheet metal bending, up to the elastic limit steel sheets regain their initial
position. But after the elastic limit, material starts showing plastic behavior and does not come
back to its original position. If we continue applying force beyond this limit. material will break
at fracture point.

Ductile Brittle and Plastic Material Stress Strain Curve Comparison

Brittle Materials

When an external force is applied to a Brittle material, it breaks with very small elastic
deformation and without plastic deformation. For brittle materials the value of elastic limit, yield
strength, ultimate tensile strength and breaking strength are the same.

In other words brittle material absorbs relatively little energy prior to fracture. For example,
Brittle materials such as Pencil or glass will break suddenly with a snapping sound and little
deformation. Ceramic, wood, glass, PMMA, graphite and cast iron are the examples of brittle
materials.

Plastic Materials

Similar to ductile materials, plastic materials also exhibit elastic properties up to proportional
limit. But plastic material requires very less stress compared to ductile materials to produce
deformation. Plastic materials do not show any work hardening during plastic deformation.

For example, When external force is applied to bend a plastic spoon. After a certain limit, Plastic
spoon will not retain its original position,

Why Stress Strain Curve is Used?

Product design engineers, FEA engineers use stress strain diagrams for manual calculation and
simulation studies to understand the behavior of a material during product actual working
conditions.

For example if you are working on the design of a bracket to hold 100kg weight. To ensure the
bracket will work in working conditions, maximum stress acting on the bracket is calculated and
a factor of safety is added to it.

Afterwards total stresses acting on material in working conditions are compared with the stress
strain curve. Simulation tools also utilizes the stress strain curve to understand behavior of a
product in actual working conditions.

Engineering Stress-Strain Curve vs True Stress Strain Curve

For engineering materials, true stress and true strain values are different from engineering
stress and engineering strain values. When tensile force is applied to a test specimen. After
necking, the area of the test specimen starts reducing rapidly. Engineering stress-strain
diagrams do not consider this reduction in area.

Test Specimen

Engineering Stress Strain Diagram considers initial area of

the test specimen. Whereas in True Stress-Strain Diagram,
test specimen actual area and change in length is considered.

Engineering Stress-Strain vs True Stress-Strain Curve

From above engineering stress-strain and true stress-strain graph we can conclude following
points:

When Tensile force is applied, engineering stress is always less than the corresponding true
stress. Because in engineering stress test specimen initial cross-section area is considered
that is always greater than actual cross section area.
When tensile force is applied, engineering strain is always greater than the corresponding
true strain.
Only after the necking starts, considerable change in the cross-section is observed. Therefore
variation between engineering and true stresses becomes more prominent after necking.

Commonly Asked Questions

! What is the purpose of Stress Strain graph?

! What is the elastic region in Stress-strain curve?

! How does engineering stress-strain diagram is different from true stress strain
diagram?

! Draw Stress-Strain Curve for brittle ductile and plastic material.

! How to calculate toughness using a stress strain graph?

To sum up, Stress strain diagram for a material is required during product design for material
selection and structure analysis. It helps designers in material selection and creating more
optimized designs.

We will keep updating this article on Stress strain cure. Please add your comments or questions
on the stress strain diagram in the comment box. We suggest you also read this article on
mechanical properties of materials.

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