Faculty of Engineering

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering

CEN 204

Mechanics of Materials Lab

Tensile Testing

Prepared by:

Submitted to:

18 October, 2017
ABSTRACT
In this experiment, two rods were studied, a brass one and an aluminum one, and each one was
subjected to increasing forces for testing tension. First, we measure the initial length Li and
diameter Di of the two rods using a caliper. Second, each rod is subjected to increasing forces
until it fails, and the failure load is recorded from the load cell. Then, we measure again the final
length Lf and diameter Df ,at the necking region, of the two rods after failure. The stress and
strain diagrams are then obtained to study the mechanical properties of the material. Each
material has a different elastic curve.
 TABLE OF CONTENTS
Abstract

Scope and Objectives 1

Theoretical Analysis 2

Experimental Methods 3

Results and Discussion 4

Conclusions 8

References 9

Appendix 10
SCOPE AND OBJECTIVES 1
The objective of this experiment is to obtain the stress-strain diagrams of different materials, in
order to be able to understand their mechanical properties. Our aim is to identify the failure load
of each of the two materials, which is experimentally obtained from the load cell, the failure
stress, the percentage reduction in area and percentage elongation, which are determined from
calculations using the initial and final lengths and diameters of the rods. After the stress-strain
diagram is obtained, we can deduce some properties like the elastic region, plastic region,
yielding, strain hardening, necking, proportional limit, elastic limit, yield stress, ultimate stress,
fracture stress, and modulus of elasticity. All of these properties are specific to the material
studied.
THEORETICAL ANALYSIS 2
We used a caliper to measure the initial and final lengths and diameters of the aluminum and
brass rods.

-For the aluminum rod:

Li=40.75mm=0.04075m Di=5.75mm=0.00575m

Lf=45.8mm=0.0458m Df=5.3mm=0.0053m

Failure Load = 12.65 KN

𝜋 𝜋
Ai = 4 𝐷𝑖 2 = 4 5.752 = 25.97 𝑚𝑚2 = 25.97×10−6 𝑚2

𝜋 𝜋
Af = 𝐷𝑓 2 = 4 5.32 = 22.06 𝑚𝑚2 = 22.06×10−6 𝑚2
4

𝐿𝑓−𝐿𝑖 45.8−40.75
% Elongation = × 100 = × 100 = 12.39%
𝐿𝑖 40.75

𝐴𝑖−𝐴𝑓 25.97−22.06
% Reduction in area = × 100 = × 100 = 15.05%
𝐴𝑖 25.97

𝐹𝑎𝑖𝑙𝑢𝑟𝑒 𝐿𝑜𝑎𝑑 12.65×103

Failure Stress = = = 487.1×106 Pa = 487.1 MPa
𝐴𝑟𝑒𝑎 𝐴𝑖 25.97×10−6

-For the brass rod:

Li=41.5mm=0.0415m Di=5.55mm=0.00555m

Lf=46.7mm=0.0458m Df=4.7mm=0.0047m

Failure Load = 14.4 KN

𝜋 𝜋
Ai = 4 𝐷𝑖 2 = 4 5.552 = 24.19 𝑚𝑚2 = 24.19×10−6 𝑚2

𝜋 𝜋
Af = 𝐷𝑓 2 = 4 4.72 = 17.35 𝑚𝑚2 = 17.35×10−6 𝑚2
4

𝐿𝑓−𝐿𝑖 46.7−41.5
% Elongation = × 100 = × 100 = 12.53%
𝐿𝑖 41.5

𝐴𝑖−𝐴𝑓 24.19−17.35
% Reduction in area = × 100 = × 100 = 28.27%
𝐴𝑖 24.19

𝐹𝑎𝑖𝑙𝑢𝑟𝑒 𝐿𝑜𝑎𝑑 14.4×103

Failure Stress = = = 595.28×106 Pa = 595.28 MPa
𝐴𝑟𝑒𝑎 𝐴𝑖 24.19×10−6
EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE 3
First, determine the initial dimensions (length and diameter) of both specimens using a caliper.
Also, we should completely unload the hydraulic system by turning the hand-wheel
counterclockwise, and then place the specimen in the tensile machine. Then, set the elongation
sensor. Enter the input data to the software and put it at the standby position. Finally, start
applying load to the sample, slowly and continuously increased, via the hand-wheel until failure.
The failure load will appear on the load cell and a stress-strain diagram will be plotted for
aluminum and brass. The diagram will help us determine the properties of the material. The final
dimensions of both rods are also measured after failure.

Hydraulic System Experimental Setup

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 4

Stress-Strain Diagram for Aluminum

According to the graph:

-Elastic region: from 0 to 1mm

-Plastic region: from 0 to 9.2mm

-Yielding region: from 1 to 2mm

-Strain hardening region: from 2 to 6mm

-Necking region: from 6 to 9.2mm

-Proportional limit = 10 𝐾𝑁/𝑚𝑚2 5

-Elastic limit = 11 𝐾𝑁/𝑚𝑚2

-The yield stress is determined by the 0.2% offset method, by drawing a line parallel at 0.002 to
the line of the elastic region, and the intersection of this line with the curve is the value of the
yield stress.

Yield stress = 10.2 𝐾𝑁/𝑚𝑚2

-Ultimate stress = 13.8 𝐾𝑁/𝑚𝑚2

-Fracture stress = 13.8 𝐾𝑁/𝑚𝑚2

-The percentage elongation is 12.39%

-The percentage reduction in area is 15.05%

-The failure load is 12.65 KN

-The failure stress is 487.1 MPa

-Young’s modulus of elasticity is equal to the slope of the offset line

10.2−0
EAl = 1.2−0.002 = 8.51 𝐾𝑁/𝑚𝑚2
 6

Stress-Strain Diagram for Brass

The rate of the load was not constant so we could not get a complete stress-strain diagram for
brass. Therefore, we could not deduce the mechanical properties of it.

-The percentage elongation is 12.53%

-The percentage reduction in area is 28.27%

-The failure load is 14.4 KN

-The failure stress is 595.28 MPa

 7

All mechanical properties including elastic, plastic, yielding, strain hardening, necking regions,
proportional and elastic limits, yield, ultimate, fracture stresses, and modulus of elasticity are
unique and different for every material.

Aluminum Brass
Initial Length (mm) 40.75 41.5
Final Length (mm) 45.8 46.7
Initial Diameter (mm) 5.75 5.55
Final Diameter (mm) 5.3 4.7
Initial Area (𝑚𝑚2 ) 25.97 24.19
Final Area (𝑚𝑚2 ) 22.06 17.35
% Elongation (%) 12.39 12.53
% Reduction in Area (%) 15.05 28.27
Failure Load (KN) 12.65 14.4
Failure Stress (MPa) 487.1 595.29
Yield Stress (𝐾𝑁/𝑚𝑚2 ) 10.2 -

Aluminum specimen after necking Brass specimen after necking

CONCLUSIONS 8
In conclusion, under tension, each material behaves in a different way. After reaching a failure
load, which is different for every material, the specimen will crack and the material will fail.
Also, the mechanical properties of a material are unique. The percentage elongation and
percentage reduction in area of aluminum (12.39% and 15.05% respectively) are less than that of
brass (12.53% and 28.27% respectively). Besides, the failure load and failure stress of aluminum
(12.65 KN and 487.1 MPa) are also less than that of brass (14.4 KN and 595.29 MPa). Finally,
the modulus of elasticity of aluminum calculated using the stress-strain diagram is found to be
8.51 𝐾𝑁/𝑚𝑚2 whereas the real modulus of elasticity of aluminum is 69GPa.
REFERENCES 9
Hibbler, R.C. (2013) Mechanics of materials,9𝑡ℎ edition, Prentice Hall, Singapore.
Section 3.1 to 3.7 .
APPENDIX 10