Strain Hardening Essay

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STRAIN HARDENING EM 327: MECHANICS OF MATERIALS LABORATORY EXPERIMENT: STRAIN HARDENING OBJECTIVES: (1) Study the behavior of strain hardened steel and compare with annealed and cold worked samples. INTRODUCTION: This laboratory experiment focuses on the effects of strain hardening on the mechanical properties of steel. Three steel specimens originally from the same bar, are prepared with various degrees of strain hardening. The three specimens are subsequently tested in tension to failure. Mechanical properties such as the proportional limit, the ultimate strength, and the modulus of elasticity are determined for each specimen and compared. BACKGROUND: Strain hardening, work hardening, and cold working all refer to the increase in deformation resistance obtainable by loading ductile metals. A stress versus strain diagram from a strain hardened tensile specimen is shown in Figure 1. The specimen was loaded in tension beyond the proportional limit (A) to point B. The load is then removed from the specimen; the unloading curve B-C being nearly parallel to the initial portion of the stress-strain curve. The strain hardened specimen, at position C on the stress-strain diagram, has been permanently elongated and has experienced a slight reduction in cross-sectional area. When reloaded, the specimen will retrace the unloading curve B-C and continue loading along C-D. Note, however, that the stress in this diagram is based on the initial cross-sectional area of the specimen. If the reduction in crosssectional area due to strain hardening is accounted F E D Stress A B for in calculating stress (σ=P/A), then a different loading curve results. Upon reloading at point C, the new curve should follow the dashed line C-EF. Thus, strain hardening results in an increase in both the proportional limit and the ultimate strength. C Strain FIGURE 1 Strain hardening of a tensile

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