Tensiometers are used to test the response of materials to stress, providing information about tensile and fatigue strength. They consist of grips that apply force through a screw or hydraulic piston. Sealed chambers can be used to test materials at specific temperatures and pressures. Results provide a stress-strain curve unique to each material, including measurements such as elastic limit, yield strength, and ultimate strength. Tensometers allow engineers to determine Young’s modulus and the point at which a material becomes permanently deformed.
A tensiometer is a device used to determine the response of a material to varying stresses, called loads. The amount of elongation a material has when under stress provides important information about the material’s tensile strength and fatigue strength. Tensometric devices are routinely used in the manufacturing industry to ensure that parts meet the necessary strength and strength requirements.
Tensometric devices consist of two handles that hold a section of the test material in place. These grips are then used to apply a tensile or compressive force, called a load, to the specimen. Tensometric tools can create force through the use of a screw or hydraulic piston, which are powered by mechanical or electrical means.
Sealed chambers can be used to house a tensiometer. This setup allows you to test the deformation characteristics of a material at specific temperatures and pressures. This is critical for testing metals used in aircraft and submarines, which can experience drastic changes in atmospheric pressure. The chambers are also useful for testing materials that will be exposed to high temperature ranges.
Accurate results from tensiometric devices depend on the quality of the specimen. Any defects created during the cutting process can skew test results and lead to premature failure under stress. Even the smallest surface inconsistency can rapidly enlarge and spread under stress, leading to early fracture and metal fatigue. This is the same process that causes poorly manufactured rivets and sheet metal to fatigue and fail on aircraft when repeatedly exposed to the stresses of atmospheric pressure.
The results produced by the tensiometric instruments provide the load as a function of the extension. From this data, together with the cross-sectional area of the specimen, a stress-strain curve can be plotted. This curve is unique to each material and provides key measurements. These measurements include the elastic limit of the material, the limit of proportionality, the yield strength and the ultimate strength.
Tensometers allow engineers to determine the Young’s modulus for the material under test. Young’s modulus represents the initial linear slope of a material’s stress-strain curve, defined as the tensile strength divided by the tensile strain. The tensile strength is determined by dividing the applied force by the cross-sectional area of the specimen. Tensile strain represents the amount of elongation produced, divided by the original length of the specimen. Materials exposed to a force within Young’s modulus, the initial linear portion of the stress-strain curve, will return to their original condition after the load is removed.
The point at which a material’s stress-strain line begins to curve is the material’s elastic limit. Deformation caused by loads exceeding this limit will result in permanent deformation of the material, preventing it from returning to its original condition when the load is removed. The maximum force, or strain, absorbed by the material represents its maximum strength. This may or may not equal the fracture toughness of the material.
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