Mechanical testing is the family of experiments that measure how a material responds to an applied force, and the tensile test is the most widely reported member. The specimen geometry, the extension rate, and the method used to measure strain all influence the result, so values are comparable only when the protocol is the same [1]. Gripping losses and slip at the clamps are the usual causes of scatter in thin films and elastomers, and extensometer placement affects the measured modulus more than the strength [2]. Dynamic mechanical analysis applies an oscillating load and reports the storage and loss moduli as functions of temperature and frequency, which separates the elastic and dissipative contributions [3]. Fracture and impact tests probe behaviour at much higher rates, and the ranking of materials can change between the slow and fast regimes [4]. Reporting a single strength value without the specimen dimensions and the test standard is one of the most common sources of irreproducibility [5].
- tensile test
- strain rate
- specimen geometry
- dynamic mechanical analysis
- fracture toughness
- extensometer
- impact test
Mechanical and Thermal Properties Analysis·Mechanical Engineering·Engineering·Physical Sciences
References
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