Ultimate tensile strength

Tensile testing on a coir composite

Ultimate tensile strength (UTS), often shortened to tensile strength (TS) or ultimate strength, is the maximum stress that a material can withstand while being stretched or pulled before breaking. The UTS is an important parameter in material science and engineering as it helps in determining the mechanical properties of materials.

Measurement

The ultimate tensile strength is measured during a tensile test, where a sample is subjected to a controlled tension until failure. The highest point on the engineering stress-strain curve is the UTS. The units of UTS are typically pascals (Pa) or megapascals (MPa) in the International System of Units (SI), and pounds per square inch (psi) in the Imperial system.

Factors Affecting UTS

Several factors can influence the ultimate tensile strength of a material, including:

• Material composition
• Heat treatment
• Manufacturing process
• Temperature
• Strain rate

Applications

Understanding the UTS of a material is crucial in various applications, such as:

• Structural engineering
• Mechanical engineering
• Aerospace engineering
• Automotive engineering
• Biomedical engineering

Related Concepts

• Yield strength
• Ductility
• Brittleness
• Hardness
• Fatigue limit
• Fracture toughness

See Also

• Stress-strain curve
• Young's modulus
• Poisson's ratio
• Shear strength
• Compressive strength