ME350 Mechanical Behavior

of Materials
Block 1 Lessons 1-16 Reading Suggested HW Assignments Due
Day/Date Lesson Topic
(before class) (after class) (Beginning of Class)
10/11 Aug M/T 1 Course Introduction 1.1-1.6, 6.1-6.2 6.1(a)
14/15 Aug M/T 2 Matl Sci - Structure & Deformation I 2.1-2.4 2.3
16/17 Aug M/T 3 Mat Sci - Structure & Deformation II 2.5-2.7 2.13
18/21 Aug M/T 4 Matl Sci - Strengthening Methods I Appendix C.1 -C.2 2.12 Skills Review
22/23 Aug M/T 5 Matl Sci - Strengthening Methods II Appendix C.3-C.4

24/25 Aug M/T 6 Mechanical Testing I 3.1-3.3.4, 3.3.6, 3.43.6 3.19(a),

28/29 Aug M/T 7 Mechanical Testing II 4.1-4.4, Appendix B.1B.6 4.5, 4.7

30/31 Aug M/T 8 Tensile Test Lab Tensile Test Lab Instructions B-47 Homework

1/5 Sep M/T 9 3-D States of Stress 6.2-6.4 6.6, 6.20, 6.22 Parents Weekend

6/7 Sep M/T 10 3-D States of Strain 5.3, 6.6 - 6.7 5.13, 5.17, 5.23, 6.53

8/11 Sep M/T 11 Failure Criteria Review 7.1-7.6.3, 7.9-7.10 7.1, 7.5, 7.14, 7.26, PP#2 Tensile Lab Report

Appendix A.6 & Residual Stress Reading

14/15 Sep M/T 13 Fracture Mechanics: Introduction 8.1 - 8.2 8.1 Homework #1
18/19 Sep M/T 14 Fracture Mechanics: The Math 8.3

20/21 Sep M/T 15 Fracture Mechanics: Applications 8.4 - 8.5.3, 8.5.5, A.7 8.7, 8.8, 8.10, 8.24 Design Project Part 1

22/25 Sep M/T 16 Fracture Mechanics: Applications 8.4 - 8.5.3, 8.5.5, A.7 PP#4

26/28 Sep M/T 17 Fracture Toughness Testing 8.6, 8.8 8.42 (a), 8.44 (a & b), 8.45
27 Sep Commandants Trng

29-Sep M 18 GR #1
Lesson 6 Admin
• Choose your own lab partner
• Sign up sheet for tensile lab (next Tu Wed Th) going
around
• Contact Lt Col Knauf/Dr. Fredell with any difficulties
• Put the lab appointment in your calendar!
• Do not come to classroom lesson 8
• Download and print your own copy of lab instructions
off Teams ME350 Cadets site
Lesson 6: Mechanical Testing I – Tension Tests

Lesson 6
ME350
Fall 2022
 Lesson 6 Objectives
• Describe the purposes of an engineering tensile test,
the equipment used to perform the test, and the
properties measured.
• Describe the purposes of a true stress – true strain
tension test and the properties measured.
• Plot an engineering and a true stress-true strain curve
from raw stress and strain data.
• Calculate elastic modulus, yield strength, ultimate
strength, elongation, strain hardening ratio, strain
hardening exponent, and strength coefficient for
engineering and true stress-strain curves.
 Tension test purpose and methodology
• Material ________ and ___________ are considered two of the most
important material properties in the design of mechanical structures.
• A tension test consists of slowly pulling a sample of material with an
axial force until it breaks.
• The test is typically performed such that the displacement increases
at a constant rate.
• During the test, the applied ________ force and resulting axial strain
are measured via a load cell and extensometer respectively.
• The electrical signals generated by the load cell and extensometer
are sent to an electronic data acquisition system where the signals
are filtered, digitized, and sent to a computer.
• The computer converts these signals to forces and strains using
sensor calibration data stored in computer files.
• Computer software saves the results such that stress-strain curves
may be generated.
Schematic of the engineering stress–strain curve of a
typical ductile metal that exhibits necking behavior.
Necking begins at the ultimate stress point
Mechanical properties measured during a tension test
• Elastic modulus (E) –
• a measure of material stiffness. The slope of the stress-strain curve in the linear
(elastic) portion of the curve. 𝐸 = 𝜎Τ𝜀 Ealuminum = 10 Msi Esteel = 30 Msi
• Ultimate tensile strength (or just ultimate strength) (su) –
• the greatest engineering stress reached prior to fracture. This is considered the
greatest stress that the material can support.
• Yield strength (or offset yield strength) (so) –
• the stress at which yielding (or plastic deformation) begins. Determined by drawing a
line parallel to the elastic slope, but offset by a specific amount (0.002 in N America).
The intersection of this line and the stress-strain curve is the yield strength.
• Elongation (ef) –
• a measure of ductility equal to the specimen strain at the fracture point of the
engineering stress-strain curve. The elongation is a function of specimen gage
length. For 0.5” diameter specimen, the standard gage length is 2.0”. Elongation can
also be measured by placing marks on the specimen and measuring their separation
before and after testing.
• Reduction in ______ – compares cross sectional area before/after testing
• Strain hardening ratio (sf/so)- measure of degree of _______ ___________
Actual partial stress – strain curve for 1018 steel alloy

100 Elastic Region

60
50
40
30 Plastic Region
20
10
0
0 0.01 0.02 0.03 0.04 0.05 0.06 0.07 0.08
Strain (in/in)
Zoomed-in portion of stress-strain curve for accurate
measurement of elastic modulus and yield strength

100
90
80
70
Stress (ksi)

60
syield = 80 ksi
50
40 E = 29.4 Msi
30
20
10
0
0 0.002 0.004 0.006 0.008 0.01
Strain (in/in)
Strain hardening ratio = _____ / ___ = _____
Initial portions of stress-strain
curves:
Engineering stress-strain curves
Typical effect of strain rate and
temperature on sult
Engineering vs. True Stress-True Strain Curves
• An _____________ stress-strain curve assumes that the
specimen cross-sectional area is constant throughout the
test. This is a reasonable assumption when designing a
structure where the dimensional changes during use are
“small”.
• However, during __________________ operations where
dimensional changes are large (forming operations to
manufacture complex shaped parts) it is not a reasonable
assumption that cross-sectional area is constant.
• For these cases, the stress – strain data must be analyzed
in terms of “true” stress and “true” strain.
• True stress and strain are measured with knowledge of
the current cross-sectional area as the test progresses.
• I’ve never used true stress/true strain except in a materials science class.
 True stress and strain definitions
𝑃 𝐴𝑖
𝜎ത = = 𝜎 (1)
𝐴 𝐴
Where: 𝜎ത ∶ 𝑡𝑟𝑢𝑒 𝑠𝑡𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑠, 𝑃: 𝑎𝑥𝑖𝑎𝑙 𝑙𝑜𝑎𝑑, 𝐴: 𝑐𝑢𝑟𝑟𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝑎𝑟𝑒𝑎
𝜎: 𝑒𝑛𝑔𝑖𝑛𝑒𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑠𝑡𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑠, 𝐴𝑖 : 𝑜𝑟𝑖𝑔𝑖𝑛𝑎𝑙 𝑎𝑟𝑒𝑎
𝐿 𝑑𝐿 𝐿
𝜀ҧ = ‫𝐿 𝐿׬‬ = 𝑙𝑛 = ln (2)
𝑖 𝐿𝑖
Where: 𝜀 ҧ ∶ 𝑡𝑟𝑢𝑒 𝑠𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑖𝑛, 𝐿: 𝑐𝑢𝑟𝑟𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝑙𝑒𝑛𝑔𝑡ℎ, 𝐿𝑖 : 𝑖𝑛𝑖𝑡𝑖𝑎𝑙 𝑙𝑒𝑛𝑔𝑡ℎ
𝜀: 𝑒𝑛𝑔𝑖𝑛𝑒𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑠𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑖𝑛
It can be shown that plastic deformation is a constant volume process.
𝐴 𝐿
That is: 𝐴𝑖 𝐿𝑖 = 𝐴𝐿 𝑜𝑟 𝑖 = = 1 + 𝜀 (3)
𝐴 𝐿𝑖

Substituting Eqn (3) into Eqn (1) results in:

𝜎ത = (4)
Limitations of true stress – true strain equations
• The true stress – true strain equations (Eqns 2 and 4 on last
slide) are applicable only when
• There is significant plasticity and
• There is no necking in the specimen during the test
• Specimen necking begins when the engineering stress starts
to decrease with increasing engineering strain (after
ultimate strength has been attained)
• Eqns 2 and 4 are only used between:
• The point where the strain is 2X the strain at which yield
strength (so) is determined, and
• The point where the _______________ strength (su) is
determined
 True stress-strain fitting equation
• True stress-strain curves for metals in the region
beyond yielding can often be accurately described
using a power-law equation
• 𝜎ത = 𝐻 𝜀 𝑛ҧ
• Where H is called the strength coefficient
• n is called the _______ ___________ coefficient
• 1≥𝑛≥0
• As n increases, the ability of a material to be formed
_____________ increases as does the ability to be
strengthened by cold work
• The power law equation is empirical
Engineering and true stress-strain curves
for 1018 steel
100

90

80 y = 112.01x0.0536
R² = 0.9977
70

60 100
Stress (ksi)

y = 112.01x0.0536
95 R² = 0.9977
50
Stress (ksi) 90
40
85
30
80
20 75
0 0.02 0.04 0.06 0.08
10
Strain (in/in)
0
0 0.01 0.02 0.03 0.04 0.05 0.06 0.07 0.08
Strain (in/in)
Materials Properties Obtainable from
Tension Tests
 Compression Tests
• The tensile strength of brittle
materials, such as ceramics,
concrete, stone, and glass are limited
by small cracks
• These materials are much stronger in
compression than tension, as
compressive stresses close the cracks
so that they do not affect their
behavior
• Brittle materials are often tested in
compression for the reason that they
are useless in tension
 Summary – Lesson 6
• Engineering tensile tests provide crucial data about
engineering materials:
• Yield and ultimate strengths
• Percent elongation
• Elastic modulus (E)
• Toughness
• Strain hardening exponent (n)
• Strength coefficient (H)
• True stress – true strain properties have much more
limited usefulness…but you need to know them here
• ASTM, the American Society for Testing & Materials,
defines the criteria for valid stress-strain testing and
data
• Compression tests are performed for brittle materials
like concrete (primarily of interest to civil engineers)
Next time: Variability of material properties
“Material properties are sometimes listed in
handbooks and supplier information as typical values,
which should be interpreted as mean values. In other
cases, the properties are characterized as minimum
values.
“Occasionally, limits are given that are based on
statistical analysis. Where this is done,” a three-sigma
limit may be used, meaning the minimum value is
guaranteed to be no more three standard deviations
below the mean value.

- Adapted from Dowling, 5th edition, p. 864