Materials Testing and its Different Types of Tests

Posted by MassachusettsMaterials on March 2nd, 2016

Material testing plays a pivotal role in testing the equipment and products. It helps determine the physical and mechanical properties of the materials at a core level that prevents any quality-based defects. Materials testing can be done on many components and raw materials ranging from a human hair strand to composite materials, steel, and ceramics.

There are many tests that are conducted according to the nature of the material. It is important to understand what tests a specific material would require serving its purpose in the best possible way. A few examples of the different types of tests are:

1. Tensile Testing — Tensile testing is used to determine the behavior of a material when an axial load is applied to it. It is a very commonly done test on plastic, metals, composite rubbers, fabric etc. These types of tests are undertaken usually by exposing the material to extensive cooling or heating to determine its tensile strength.
2. Compression or Stress Testing — To check the material’s behavior under a load, a compression test is done. This test examines a material’s ability to resist a compressive force applied to break it. Also, the time period for which it resists is recorded as well.
3. Bend Testing — To measure ductility of a material (plastic, ceramics, laminates etc), a bend or flex test is conducted. There are basically two types of bend tests- 3 points and 4 points. Bending tests involve taking the sample material to a particular level and determining its load measurement. Or it may involve applying load on a sample till it experiences a break.
4. Bond Strength Testing — This test is done to examine the materials’ bond rupture resistance. It allows the material testing companies to determine the stress required to rupture a bond (formed by adhesive) between two metal blocks. Orthodontics and medical adhesives are often tested using this method.
5. Break Strength Testing — Any test would have a break strength criterion attached to it, but some material testing undergoes specific break testing process. There are different types of breaks depending upon the nature of the material and its physical and mechanical properties.

There are various other tests as well that help determines the quality and productivity of a material. Several material testing companies have other different types of tests like shear, peel, tear strength testing and creep resistance, elastic limit testing as well. Hence material testing is a vast and diverse industry serving the basic and most important need in the manufacturing process.