Submitted by Sohaib Ahmad

(2016-IM-18)

INDUSTRIAL MATERIALS
To

Mr.
Kashif Ishfaq
(Inspection
and

Testing Lab)

LAB REPORT

TENSILE TEST ON A GIVEN SPECIMEN

INDUSTRIAL MATERIALS

tensometer
Tensometer is a machine that is used to check the strength of material.
It performs a tensile test on a specimen, through which it automatically plots graph between stress and strain.
Tensometer has a drum, which prints graph, coupled with the elongation of specimen.

TENSILE
TEST ON A GIVEN SPECIMEN
3

OBJECTIVES
It is used to develop an understanding of standard tensile test, to study the mechanical properties of
some important engineering materials, to obtain values for the yield stress (or proof stress), tensile
strength and ductility for those materials and to ascertain the variability of the properties for certain
nominally identical specimens.

Apparatus
1.
2.
3.
4.

Tensometer and its arrangements

Sample specimen
Graph paper
Vernier calipers

THEORY
The basic idea of this tensile test is to place a sample of a material between two fixtures called "grips" which
clamp the material. The material has known dimensions, like length and cross-sectional area. We then begin to
apply weight to the material gripped at one end while the other end is fixed. We keep increasing the weight (often
called the load or force) while at the same time measuring the change in length of the sample.
The result of this test is a graph of load (amount of weight) versus displacement (amount it stretched). Since the
amount of weight needed to stretch the material depends on the size of the material (and of course the properties
of the material), comparison between materials can be very challenging. The ability to make a proper comparison
can be very important to someone designing for structural applications where the material must withstand certain
forces.
We need a way of directly being able to compare different materials, making the strength we report independent
of the size of the material. We can do that by simply dividing the load applied to the material (the weight or force)
by the initial cross-sectional area. We also divide the amount it moves (displacement) by the initial length of the
material. This creates what material scientists refer to as engineering stress (load divided by the initial crosssectional area) and engineering strain (displacement divided by initial length). By looking at the engineering
stress-strain response of a material we can compare the strength of different materials, independently of their
sizes.
Let us discuss some of the important areas of the graph,

Graph Location 1: Elastic Region

The point on the graph labeled number 1 indicates the end of the elastic region of the curve. Up to this point, the
material stretches in an elastic or reversible manner.

Graph Location 2: Yield POINT (0.2% offset yield strength)

The next portion of the curve of interest is point 2. At this point the curve has begun to bend over, or is no longer
linear. This point is known as the 0.2% offset yield strength. It indicates the strength of the material just as it starts
to permanently change shape.

Graph Location 3: (UTS) Maximum Withstand-able Stress

As we move up from point 2 the load or "stress" on the material increases until we reach a maximum applied
stress, while the material deforms or changes shape uniformly along the entire gauge length. When we reach
point 3, we can determine the tensile strength or maximum stress (or load) the material can support.

Graph Location 4: Failure or Fracture

Finally, as we follow the curve we eventually reach a point where the material breaks or fails. Of interest here is
the final degree to which the material changes shape. This is the ductility of the material.

Example:

Procedure
1. Take measurements of the specimen. Diameter, Length etc. Find out
about the material.
2. Load the correct beam into the TENSOMETER (to suit the expected
loading at UTS).
3. Apply load to about 75% of Yield to ensure the specimen it fully seated
in the jaws.
4. Release the load and set the mercury indicator.
5. Add paper to the chart roller and begin the test (recording the load as
you go) until the specimen breaks.

6. Remove paper, measure the % elongation of the specimen.

7. Attempt to record all sources of error relevant to the measurements taken (Force, Extension).

OBSERVATIONS AND
CALCULATIONS
ALUMINUM SAMPLE
MAXIMUN APPLIED FORCE
SAMPLE BREAKAGE POINT

5KN
4.5KN

GRAPH READINGS
PROPORTIONAL LIMIT
YIELD POINT
ULTIMATE TENSILE STRESS (UTS)
Fracture

4.5KN
5.5KN
4.5KN

RESULTS
REDUCTION IN AREA
ENLONGATION

22%
13%

COMMENTS
It easily approached my understanding to the concept of stress. It is a simple experiment that briefly
describes the strength of a specimen. I learnt the application of stress in daily life from this experiment.