MSE 212

Material science lab

Experiment (3): Tensile Test
Submitted by:
Abdallah Amr Mohamed – 120200011
Ahmed Hatem Mohamed - 120200012
Alhossien Mohamed Waly - 120200014
Mennatullah Elsayed Mansour - 120200009
Mostafa Osama Mohamed - 120200018
Rewan Yehia Ibrahim - 120200013

Submitted to:
Dr. Ahmad Hassanin
Dr. Mohamed Gebriel

Date:
23-11-2020
Table of Contents:
I. Introduction: .......................................................................... 3

II. Objective: ............................................................................... 4

III.Materials: ............................................................................... 4

IV. Methods: ............................................................................... 6

V. Results: ................................................................................ 7

VI. Discussion: ......................................................................... 10

VII. Conclusion: ....................................................................... 12

VIII.References: ....................................................................... 13
I. Introduction:
The mechanical properties of the material are unique for each material.
To characterize a material for either being suitable for a particular
application or not, the material is put under certain conditions and tests to
make sure it’s qualified for this certain application. These conditions
include large mechanical loads, high or low temperatures, and different
chemical behavior. To ensure the required materials standards, it is
crucial to understand how they deform under stresses or
fracture as a function of the applied force value, time,
temperature, pressure, and other probable conditions.

One of the major mechanical tests is tensile test (or

tension testing). Tensile test is a destructive test process
that provides information about the tensile strength, yield
strength, and ductility of the metallic material. It
measures the force required to break a composite or
plastic specimen and the extent to which the specimen
Figure 1: Tensile test schematic
stretches or elongates to that breaking point. Tensile
testing of composites is generally in the form of basic tension or flat-
sandwich tension testing considering the global standards for testing (ex.
ASTM D 638, ASTM D 3039, and ASTM C 297)1. Such tests produce
stress-strain diagrams used to determine tensile modulus. Fig (1) is a
schematic for test and components in the universal testing machine.

Almost all the materials could be tested for tensile strength. the popular
materials in this test are polymers, woods, and metals as they are used in
 many applications that provide a
tension load on the material (ropes
in suspension bridge fig (2)). The
specimen usually takes a known
geometry, either a bar shape, string,
coupon, dog bone, or dumbbell,
and this is determined mainly by Figure 2: Ropes of suspension bridge and the load on it

the material being tested2.

II. Objective:
We do the tension test in order to:

1- Identify the breaking point of the material to see whether the material
will endure the conditions and loads applied on it.
2- Determine the stress-strain curve and see how the material will act
against each load applied on it using the universal testing machine.
3- After all testing processes, identify the material that fit the most.

III. Materials:
A. Equipment:
1- Digital vernier caliper
(fig (3))
2- Universal testing machine
(fig (4))

Figure 4: Universal testing machine Figure 3: Digital vernier caliper

B. Samples:
Table (1) represents the 4 samples to be tested with the dimensions
(gauge length, thickness and width).

Sample Material Speed Thickness Width Gauge length

(mm/min) (mm) (mm) (mm)

1 Plastic sheet 1.5 1.18 4.28 24.50

2 Steel sheet 1.5 0.90 3.84 25.40
3 Steel sheet 2.5 0.98 3.90 25.80
4 Aluminum rod 1.5 (Diameter) 3.99 25.00
Table 1: Samples dimensions

C. Samples preparation:
- Adjusting the samples to make them with the required dimensions
using cutting machine and polishing their surfaces to make them soft
and uniform.
- Checking the dimensions using the digital vernier caliper (fig (3)).

- Depending on the standard usage for the universal testing machine a

standard specimen is prepared in a round or square section along the
length of the gauge. The initial gauge length is standardized and varies
with the diameter or the cross-sectional area of the specimen as listed
in Table (2).

Type specimen United States (ASTM) Britain Germany

Sheet (Lo/√Ao) 4.5 5.65 11.3
Rod (Lo/Do) 4.0 5.00 10.0
Table 2: specimen dimension standards in different countries
IV. Methods:
A. Test method standards:
The ASTM E8/E8M tension test is performed on metallic materials in
any form at room temperature. Specifically, it determines mechanical
properties of metals such as yield strength, yield point elongation,
tensile strength, elongation, and reduction of
area. It is one of the most common test
procedures performed on metal samples.
Universal testing machine (fig (5)) is the
testing machine used in this test, it consists
of screw column, table, cylinder, load frame,
movable head, fixed head, jaws to grip the
test sample and controllers. Connected to a
software program called “TRAPEZIUMX”
Figure 5: Schematic for universal testing machine
that control the test and read the results and
visualize them the data in charts.
B. Procedures:
1- Measure and record the specimen dimensions necessary to
determine the cross-sectional area.
2- Use ink and a scribe or punch to place gage marks on the test
specimen at the appropriate gage length. The distance between the
gage marks after the specimen is broken is used to determine the
percent elongation at break. (Note: To accurately compare
elongation values between tests, the gage lengths must be the
same.)3
 3- Zero the testing machine without the specimen inserted in the
grips. Then install the specimen in the grips and start loading the
sample.
4- Run the test until specimen failure or fracture. Remove the broken
sample from the machine.
5- Repeat for all 4 samples.

V. Results:
The experiment results are described by 2 graphs for each material, one is
force vs stroke (displacement of the sample), the other is a stress vs strain
graph calculated from the given data.

Table 3 represents the maximum load applied on each sample:

Sample Material Speed Maximum
(mm/min) load applied
(N)
1 Plastic sheet 1.5 330.85
2 Steel sheet 1.5 1454.51
3 Steel sheet 2.5 1704.25
4 Aluminum rod 1.5 2745.99
Table 3: maximum load applied on samples

Figure 6 shows sample 3 before the test (the lower image)

and after the test (fractured sample).

comparing the graphs is according to 3 different categories

to see the effect of each parameter change: Figure 6: steel sheet at 2.5
speed before and after the
1- Different materials (plastics sheet vs Steel sheet) test

2- Different speed (Steel sheet at 1.5 speed vs 2.5 speed)

3- Different shapes (aluminum rod vs steel sheet)
A- Different materials (plastics sheet vs Steel sheet):
Plastic and steel have the same shapes of the sheet with the dumbbell
shape both at the same
speed of 1.5 mm/min.
First graph shown (fig (7))
show the force applied on
the sample vs the stroke
(displacement of the
sample)
To obtain the stress-strain
graph, we will calculate Figure 7: plastic and steel sheets stroke vs force graph

the stress and strain for both samples, force is divided by the cross-
sectional area of the sample (width * thickness), strain is the ratio of
the displacement to the
gauge length (initial length)
times 100 (percentage).
Figure 8 shows the stress-
strain graph.

Figure 8: plastic and steel sheets stress vs strain graph

B- Different speeds (Steel sheet 1.5 speed vs 2.5 speed):

2 steel samples with the same shape, dimensions (approximately) are
tested at different speeds to see the effect of the speed parameter.
 Figures 9 and 10 represents both the force vs stroke and stress vs
strain graphs respectively. (Stress- strain graph is calculated with the
same method)

Figure 9: 2 steel sheets at 1.5 speed and 2.5 speed stroke vs Figure 10: 2 steel sheets at 1.5 speed and 2.5 speed stress vs
force graph strain graph

C- Different shapes (aluminum rod vs steel sheet):

Aluminum and steel samples at the same speed, but different shapes,
an aluminum rod and a steel sheet.
Figures 11 and 12 represents both the force vs stroke and stress vs
strain graphs respectively. (Stress- strain graph is calculated with the
same method).

Figure 11: steel sheet vs aluminum rod at 1.5 speed stroke vs Figure 12: steel sheet vs aluminum rod at 1.5 speed stress vs
force graph strain graph
 The graphs can be used to get young’s modulus (E) and ultimate
tensile strength (UTS).
Young’s modulus can be calculated from the slope of linear region
(elastic region) in the graph as:

∆y 𝑆𝑆𝑆𝑆𝑆𝑆𝑆𝑆𝑆𝑆𝑆𝑆(σ)
𝐸𝐸 = 𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠 = =
∆𝑥𝑥 𝑆𝑆𝑆𝑆𝑆𝑆𝑆𝑆𝑆𝑆𝑆𝑆(ε)
The Ultimate Tensile Strength (UTS) can be determined by finding
the maximum point of the stress-strain graph. The following graph
represents young’s modulus and ultimate tensile strength for each
sample:
Sample Young’s modulus Ultimate tensile strength
(MPa) (MPa)
Steel 1.5mm/min 334.24 367.87
Steel 2.5mm/min 347.45 377.97
Aluminum 62.73 241.36
Plastic 100.14 70.07
Table 4: young’s modulus and ultimate tensile strength for the samples

VI. Discussion:
The experiment aims to investigate the
tensile property of material by using
different samples with different parameters
(speed, material, shape). Generally, the
force-displacement graphs are similar in
behavior but differ with these parameters,
firstly as increasing the force the
displacement increases until it reaches Figure 13: explaining the stress-strain graph

maximum point (figure (13) shows the

explanation) then, decreasing due to failure of material until the material
completely breaks (sudden decrease). Force-displacement graph is the
starting point because universal testing machine can easily measure force
and corresponding displacement to give data to software which plot the
graph then plotting stress-strain graph by making simple mathematics
operations that is why force-displacement and stress-strain graph are
similar. The parameters that investigated in this test tension were material
itself, shape and the speed.

A- Material effect:
The materials showed that they have general graph divided into two
regions elastic and plastic region figure (13). The material starts in
elastic region in which the deformation is recoverable, and this region
σ
obeys Hooke’s law: E = which is linear region, this region ends
ε

with yield strength point which represent the maximum stress that
material can bear without permanent deformation. The plastic region
is nonlinear with permanent deformation, the increasing behavior of
stress and strain continues until reaching the ultimate strength then
decreasing of the curve starts which reflects starting the failure of
material. In the experiment, the materials are different in the values
that make the general shape of the graph, but they attain the same
general curve structure.
B- Speed effect:
The graph of the two steel sheets shows very similar curves which is
indicator that the applied speed has small effect on the tension test.
Also, increasing the speed making the linear region less stepper.
 C- Shape effect:
Aluminum rod bore tension force than steel, we cannot conclude that
aluminum has strength more than steel. Although the big force that
aluminum bore the stress on it was smaller than steel, the shape of
specimen especially the cross-sectional area. The stress is the
determinant for the strength of material while the force is false
indication as if big force distributed on large area of material the
effect of this force would be smaller than its effect on the same
material with smaller area. That’s a reason of many reasons why ropes
of suspension bridge mentioned above is made with circular cross-
sectional area.

VII. Conclusion:
For each material, they all have the same
general shape of graph with the initial state
is its elastic state. The temporary Figure 14: stress - strain graph for 3 materials

deformation in this state has the stress and strain proportional to each
other. A graph of stress versus strain results in linear relationship, where
its slope is the material’s Young’s Modulus (the material elastic
deformation). Each material has a breaking point and as the loads applied
exceed this point, the material is deformed permanently. Point of yielding
is determined as the initial departure from the linearity of the stress-strain
graph. In the case of steel, it has the highest young’s modulus and
ultimate tensile strength values, this make it the stiffest material among
the samples even the aluminum has a higher breaking load but due to the
its higher area, the stress is lower (figure 14 compares the 3 materials).
VIII. References:
1- Tensile Testing - an overview | ScienceDirect Topics. (2019).
Science Direct.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/engineering/tensile-testing
2- Mechanical Test Specimens - Tensile Test Specimens - Fracture
Mechanics Specimens. (2020). Metal Samples.
https://www.alspi.com/specimens.htm
3- ASTM E8 Metal Tensile Testing. (2021, May 1). ADMET.
https://www.admet.com/testing-applications/testing-
standards/astm-e8-metal-tensile-testing/
4- Carr, M. (2005). Tensile testing: a simple introduction. Physics
Education, 41(1), 57–62. https://doi.org/10.1088/0031-
9120/41/1/005
5- ASM International. (2004, December). Introduction to tensile
testing. John Peppler.
6- M. (2021, June 20). What is the Tensile test procedure, types of
equipment and Lab report?. Material Welding.
https://www.materialwelding.com/what-is-the-tensile-test-
procedure-types-of-equipment-and-lab-report%E2%80%8B/
7- Industrial Physics. (2021, November 5). ASTM-E8.
https://industrialphysics.com/knowledgebase/astm-e8/