Shared Facilities

FUNCTION:
The facility provides testing equipment for studying the mechanical behavior of materials. We have the capability of conducting tension, compression, fatigue, creep, stress rupture, impact, and 3- or 4-point bend tests. Specialized equipment is also available to perform tests in controlled atmospheres or vacuum and cover the temperature range of 4.2 K to 77.2 K.

The computer-interfaced MTS machines can perform static and dynamic mechanical tests that relate an applied force to the elastic, anelastic, and/or plastic deformation of solid materials. The facility also makes available investigation of strain or stress controlled fatigue experiments, fatigue crack initiation studies, fatigue crack propagation studies, cyclic hardening, cyclic softening and cyclic stress-stain curve measurements under computer control.

EQUIPMENT:
1. Five MTS machines; three servo-hydraulic, one servo-electric, and one screw driven tensile machine are available to perform static and dynamic mechanical tests and control such parameters as strain rate and rate of loading. Tests can be performed up to 50,000 lb (250 kN).

2. Three ATS constant load creep apparatuses can be used for creep and stress rupture experiments in atmosphere to 1100 °C.

3. Charpy tests can be conducted in the ranges: 0 - 357 J and 0 - 22.5 J. Izod tests can be conducted in the range: 0 - 22.5 J.

4. A laser extensometer, several contact extensometers and crack opening displacement gages are available for both static and dynamic tensile or compression tests. These include extensometers that can be used to 1100 ºC.

5. One of the units is equipped with a Centorr high temperature environmental chamber. Test environments including vacuum, inert gas, liquids, or a controlled atmosphere can also be carried out.

6. A metallurgical microscope can be attached to the testing units enabling observation of real-time fatigue crack growth and examination of specimen surfaces during test cycling.