Unit - IV

Mechanical Testing of Materials

Dr. K. Devendranath Ramkumar

School of Mechanical & Building Sciences

Types of Testing

Destructive testing changes the dimensions

or physical and structural integrity of the
specimen. (It is essentially destroyed during
the test)
e.g., Tensile, Compression, Shear, Torsion,
Impact and Hardness

Non-Destructive testing does not affect the

structural integrity of the sample.
( A measurement that does not effect the
specimen in any way)
e.g., weighing,
measurements etc.

Outline of Destructive Testing Techniques

Hardness Test
Tension Test
Shear Test
Compression Test
Torsion Test
Impact Test
Bend Test

Hardness and Microhardness Testing

Hardness is the measure of how resistant solid matter is to

various kinds of permanent shape change when a force is applied.

Methods include: Brinell, Rockwell standard testing, Rockwell

superficial testing, Knoop & Vickers microhardness testing,
and Brinell hardness testing.

Tensile Testing

Tension test subjects a sample to uniaxial tension until it fails.

Element tensile testing capabilities include: wedge tensile testing, axial

tensile testing, weld tensile testing, castings tensile testing, elevated temperature
tensile, tensile testing for machined specimens, full-size tensile testing and yield tensile, plus
heat treatment capabilities.

Properties can be retrieved from both elastic and plastic limit

Compression Test

Metals and many plastics, for example, are more efficient at resisting tensile
loads.

Therefore, they are more commonly tested using tensile loading, depending on
the application, of course.

Materials, such as concrete, brick, and some ceramic products, are more often
used in applications for their compressive loading properties and are,
therefore, tested in compression.

Again, it is important to choose the test that best reflects the loads and
conditions the material will be subjected to in application or service

Barreling or Bulging of a Sample

under Compressive Loads
5

Impact Fracture Testing

Izod

Two standard tests:

Charpy and Izod.
Measure the impact
energy
(energy
required to fracture
a test piece under
an impact load),
also
called
the
notch toughness.

Charpy

Notch test, is a
standardized high
strain-rate test which
determines the amount
of energy absorbed by a
material during
fracture.

Shear Test

Shear testing involves an applied force or load that acts in a

direction parallel to the plane in which the load is applied.

Shear loads act differently than, say, tensile or compressive

loads that act normal or perpendicular to the axis of loading.

Direct shear and torsional shear are important forces used to

determine shear properties.

Direct or torsional loading depends on the forces a material is

expected to be subjected to during service.

Shear strength measures a material's response to shear

loading, a force that tends to produce a sliding failure on a
material along a plane that is parallel to the direction of the
force.

Element performs shear testing on bolts, rivets, pins, and other

products: single shear testing, double shear testing, washer
testing and other testing

Bend Test

Bending determines the ductility or the strength of a material

by bending the material over a given radius. Element performs
bolt bend testing, weld bend testing, and raw materials bend
testing.

Torsion Test

A torsion test measures the strength of any material against

maximum bending forces. It is an extremely common test used in
material mechanics to measure how much bend a certain material
can withstand before cracking or breaking.

A torsion test can be conducted on most materials to determine

the torsional properties of the material. These properties include
but are not limited to:
Modulus of elasticity in shear
Yield shear strength
Ultimate shear strength
Modulus of rupture in shear
Ductility

Torsion Test
apparatus

Many products and components are subjected to torsional forces

during their operation.
Products such as switches, fasteners, and automotive steering columns
are just a few devices subject to such torsional stresses.
By testing these products in torsion, manufacturers are able to
simulate real life service conditions, check product quality, verify
designs, and ensure proper manufacturing techniques