Tensile Test

One of the most fundamental mechanical tests that can be performed on a material is the tensile test. A test sample is loaded in tension when it experiences opposing forces acting upon opposite faces both located on the same axis that attempt to pull the specimen apart. These tests are simple to setup and complete and reveal many characteristics of the material that is tested. Tensile tests are considered to be essentially the opposite of a compression test.

Purpose of tensile testing:

Generally, a tensile test is designed to be run until the sample fails or breaks under the load. The values that may be measured from this type of test can range from but are not limited to tensile strength, ultimate strength, elongation, modulus of elasticity, yield strength, Poisson’s ratio, and strain hardening. The measurements taken during the test reveals the characteristics of a material while it is under a tensile load.

Many types of tensile tests:

There many different variants of tensile tests but a few of the more common tests are tension, tensile adhesion, tensile shear, tensile grab, tensile pulling, tension fatigue, and tensile creep. In most of these tests the specimen is loaded until it fails or fractures with the main difference in the type of specimen geometry and associated tensile test fixture used. Tension fatigue testing differs not only in the type of grip but also in the test machine type. It is performed by loading the material to a positive force and then reducing the load to zero and repeating this process until the sample fails with the number of cycles till failure as the desired value to be measured. Tensile creep is similar to this except that the load is not altered but rather steadily applied until the sample fails.

Types of materials:

Nearly all materials can be tested in tension in one manner or another, but the more popular materials include metals, plastics, woods, polymers and textiles. The test sample often take the shapes of bars, strings, strands, coupons, dog bones, and dumbbells depending upon the material, the tensile grip, and test performed on the sample. Materials with high compressive strength values have relatively low tensile strength, such as brick and aerospace composites. These are not generally tested in tension as their applications do not normally require them to withstand tensile loads.

Selected Test Standards

• ASTM A370 Tensile Bend Strength Steel Test Equipment
• ASTM A931 Steel Wire Rope Tension Test Equipment
• ASTM A1044 Steel Stud Assemblies Test Machine
• ASTM C1135 Tensile Adhesion Test Equipment
• ASTM D143 Timber Clear Specimen Test Equipment
• ASTM D1623 Tensile Adhesion of Rigid Cellular Plastic
• ASTM D1708 Tensile Testing for Plastics and Microtensile Specimens
• ASTM D2343 Tensile Glass Fiber Strands Yarns Rovings Testing Equipment
• ASTM D3039 Tensile Testing for Advanced Composite Materials
• ASTM D3217 Breaking Tenacity of Manufactured Textile Fibers in Loop or Knot Configurations
• ASTM D3759 Tensile and Elongation of Pressure-Sensitive Tapes
• ASTM D4073 Tensile-Tear Tests of Bituminous Roofing Membranes
• ASTM D412 - Tension Testing for Rubber and Elastomers
• ASTM D4595 Wide-Width Tensile Test Equipment for Geotextiles
• ASTM D4964 Tension and Elongation of Elastic Fabrics
• ASTM D638 Tension Testing for Plastics
• ASTM D7205 Tensile Tests of GFRP Matrix Composite Bars
• ASTM D828 Tensile Force Deflection of Paper and Paperboard
• ASTM D882 Tensile Testing for Thin Plastic Sheeting
• ASTM E21 Elevated Temperature Tension Tests of Metals
• ASTM E8 Tension Testing of Metallic Materials
• ISO 4587 Tensile Lap-Shear Strength of Rigid-to-Rigid Bonded Assemblies

Selected Applications

• Aramid Yarn Tensile Testing
• Cable Proof Load Limit Mechanical Test Equipment
• Composite Laminate Tensile Testing in an Environmental Chamber
• Composites Fastener Pull-Through Test Equipment
• Elevated Temperature Tension Tests of Metals
• Fiber Composites Tensile Test Equipment
• Fiber Reinforced Plastic Composites Tensile Tests
• Geotextile Grab Test Equipment to measure Break Load and Elongation
• Geotextile Seam Strength Test Equipment
• Geotextile Wide Width Strip Test Equipment
• Gray Iron Casting Dumbbell Samples - Tensile Testing
• How to Choose Equipment for Tensile Testing Ceramics
• How to Configure Equipment for Tensile Testing Plastic and Polymer Materials
• How to Configure Test Equipment for Tensile Test of Metals
• How to Plan Tensile Tests for Wire Crimp, Solder, and Lugs
• How to pull test cable and wire products
• How to select a universal test machine for rubber and elastomers
• How to Understand Tensile Test Results of Paper
• Injection, Extrusion, & Compression Molded Plastic Material Testing
• Metal Forging Fatigue, Fracture and Tensile Test Equipment
• Monolithic Ceramics Tensile Test Equipment
• Plastic Sheet Thin Film Tensile Test | Equipment for ASTM D882
• Plastics & Composites Tensile Test | ASTM D638 ISO 527
• Polyethylene HDPE MDPE LDPE Plastics | Tensile & Flexural Tests
• Pre-stressed Concrete Multi-Wire Strand Tensile Tests
• Printed Circuit Board Pin Pull Test
• PVC Polyvinyl Chloride Materials Testing
• Rebar Tensile and Bend Testing
• Rigid Cellular Plastics Tensile Properties (ISO 1926 & ASTM D1623)
• Rubber Tensile Stress Strain Properties per ASTM D412 & ISO 37
• Sheet Metal R and N values Testing
• Single Fiber Carbon Tensile Test Equipment
• Single Strand Yarn Tensile Strength
• Soft Foam | Tensile Testing Equipment
• Steel Pipeline Tensile Testing
• Steel Reinforcing Bar or Rebar Tensile Test Equipment
• Stress Strain Image Correlation Test | Engineered Composites Spotlight
• Synthetic Rope Tensile Testing
• Tensile Grab Test for Woven Textile Fabrics
• Tensile Grips - Capstan, Pneumatic, and Wedge for Wire
• Tensile of Single-Strand Yarns
• Tensile Strength Test of Fibers, Threads, Wires or Nanotubes
• Tensile Strength Tests of Tissue Engineered Skin
• Tensile Test Equipment for Biological Soft Tissues
• Tensile Test Equipment for Fiber Composites
• Tensile Test Equipment for Foam Cellular Plastics
• Tensile Test Equipment for Rebar
• Tensile Test Equipment for Wood and Timber Products
• Tensile Test Machines for Ceramics
• Tensile Test Machines for Steel Products
• Tensile Test of Contact Lens
• Tensile Testing Aluminum and Magnesium Metal Alloys
• Tensile Testing for Single Fiber Filaments
• Tensile Testing Human Hair
• Tensile Testing Machines for Plastics, Polymers & Composites
• Tensile Testing of Flexible Polyurethane Foam per ASTM D3574 Test E
• Tensile Testing of Foam Cellular Plastics
• Tensile Testing of Metal Dogbone Specimens
• Tensile Testing of Nitinol Wire
• Tensile Testing of Plastic Thin Film | Equipment for ASTM D882
• Tensile Testing of Plastics & Composites | Equipment for ASTM D638
• Tensile Testing of Textile Materials
• Tensile Testing of Thin Metal Foil
• Tensile Testing Rubber | ASTM D412 & ISO 37
• Tensile Testing Rubber- or Plastic-Coated Fabrics
• Testing Materials in Radioactive Hot Cells
• Textile Fabric Strip Test Method
• Textile Grab Test Equipment
• Textile Seam Strength Test Equipment
• Textile Strip Test Equipment
• Textile Tensile Test Equipment
• Thermoplastic & Thermoset Plastics Tensile Testing
• Tuft Bind of Pile Yarn Floor Coverings
• Webbing Materials Tensile Testing
• Wire, Cables and Rope Pull Testing
• Wire Tensile Testing Standards: Crimp, Solder, and Lug Wire Connections
• Wood and Timber Tensile Testing Equipment
• Wood Based Products Nail and Screw Withdrawal Tests | ASTM D1037 | Equipment
• Wood Tensile Cleavage Test | ASTM D143 | BS 373 | Equipment
• Yarn Strength and Elongation | Tensile Testing Equipment