8/22/2015

Why is the yield strength calculated on the basis of 0.2% or 0.5% strain only? Which is preferred and why ? - ResearchGate
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Braj Krishna
Motilal Nehru National Institute of Technology

Why is the yield strength calculated on the basis of

0.2% or 0.5% strain only? Which is preferred and why ?
Materials having no sharp point to indicate the start of the yield (offset method).
TOPICS
Tensile Strength

Tensile Testing

Materials Science

Mechanical Properties

Yield strength

Feb 17, 2015 Modified Feb 17, 2015 by the commenter.

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POPULAR ANSWERS

Phaniraj C Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research

1) To add on to the above answers, certainly the yield stress measured
by 0.2% offset strain method is "arbitrary" (answered by Prof. Germn
Prieto/Prof. Pavel N. Yakushev ). While determining yield stress using
tension test, to avoid dynamic effects, the rate of load application has to
be slow (as answered by Prof. Tarik mer Ourtani) such that it is quasistatic . But the rate of loading may vary with different materials. Further,
this offset strain of 0.2% for yield stress is by ASTM, whereas in England,
0.1% and 0.5 % is commonly used. Essentially 0.2% offset method of
yield stress gives reproducible values though it is an approximate
measure (and accepted in engineering sense) of the transition form
elastic to onset of plastic deformation. But for metals and alloys (e.g.
mild steel) that display distinct yield point phenomenon (i.e., upper yield
stress, lower yield stress and yield point elongation) due to dislocation solute interactions, generally it is preferred to take the lower yield stress
value, as this value is less sensitive to dynamic effects and is also
conservative. (for YS: please see the link if you have access:
http://www.mts.com/university/Tension_Test.pdf)
2) Also please see an "interesting and different view point on yield
stress and its definition" by Prof. Richard M. Christensen, Stanford
University, USA:(a) "Observations on the definition of yield stress", Richard M.
Christensen, Acta Mechanica, March 2008, Volume 196, Issue 3-4, pp
239-244. OR
(b) "Defining Yield Stress and Failure Stress (Strength)", Chapter 9, in
Book on "The Theory of Materials Failure" by Richard M.
Christensen, Oxford University Press (May 8, 2013).

Feb 26, 2015

ALL ANSWERS (10)

Ankush Kashiwar
For materials with conventional grain size (of the order of micrometers), it
is the strength corresponding to 0.2% offset that determines the yield
strength. This point is considered to mark the plastic deformation of
majority of the grains in the sample. This criterion is closely linked to the
sensitivity of the equipment that measures the stress-strain response.
The equipment thus needs to be capable enough to detect the elasticplastic transition to atleast precisely measure the 0.2% offset stress.

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8/22/2015

Why is the yield strength calculated on the basis of 0.2% or 0.5% strain only? Which is preferred and why ? - ResearchGate
Feb 17, 2015

Eliab Z. Opiyo Delft University Of Technology

In practical settings, e.g., in structural design, one would want as close
actual materials behavior (e.g., in this case strength) as possible. The
0.2% strain (i.e., as per 0.2%-offset method ) has arbitrarily been defined
(recall that the true yield point could vary depending upon various
factors such as the composition, processing, or even the testing method)
and is widely used to estimate yield strength when a yield point is not
easily defined based on the shape of the stress-strain curve. The
corresponding stress is used comparatively or as a proof that the
material is suitable. The 0.2% strain is a verified value and is considered
appropriate for determining the yoeld strength for many metals.
Feb 17, 2015

Germn Prieto National Scientific and Technical Research Council

Hi Braj,
These limits are arbitrary, because as the transition from linearity to nonlinearity is continuous i.e. there is no singular point to identify it as in the
apparent yield observed in low-carbon steels. Therefore, the distinction
between the elastic and the plastic regime had to be done following some
arbitrary criteria.
The 0,2% of the initial gauge lenght has been chosen by standarization
organizations (mainly ASTM) because it is small enough to ensure the
accuracy of the yield point but it is sufficiently large to be measured with
conventional methods in the lab, just with a caliper or micrometer.
For fragile materials, such as gray cast iron, the offset is 0.05% of the
initial gauge lenght, because the plastic deformation is small.
Hope it helps!
Feb 17, 2015

Tarik mer Ourtani Middle East Technical University

There are two main reasons; 1) In most nonferrous metals and alloys
especially those having FCC and HCP structures there are no points
at which the slopes show discontinuity similar to steels (Iron-carbon
system) ) on the tensile test curves that can be identified as the onset of
the plastic range. 2) According to the large collected DATA on tensile
testing have showed that 0.2% elongation done under the slow strain
rate tensile experiments one observe permanent deformation after the
loading decimated suddenly to zero. This a an engineering accepted
limit threshold by the convection of ASME
Feb 20, 2015

Pavel N. Yakushev Russian Academy of Sciences

I'm fully agree with Germn Prieto - these limits are arbitrary for all solids,
not just metals, but also for polymers, glasses and ceramics.
I would like to highlight an important point.
To determine the yield stress a so-called "active loading" is generally
used. Then the result depends on the tensile speed. However, there
is a specific kind of loading which called "dead load" (creep mode). This
method gives results that are more precisely reflect the physical nature
of the transformations in solids when they are deformed
See:
1. Bell J F, 1973, Mechanics of Solids I (Experimental Foundations of
Mechanics of Solids), Truesdell (BerlinHeidelbergNew York: SpringerVerlag)
2. Abstract and Introduction in: P.N. Yakushev, Creep rate measurement
with laser interferometer, Optical Memory & Neural Networks (Information
Optics)18(4) (2009) 328
Feb 23, 2015

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8/22/2015

Why is the yield strength calculated on the basis of 0.2% or 0.5% strain only? Which is preferred and why ? - ResearchGate
Virupaxi Auradi Siddaganga Institute of Technology
It is mostly proof strength. In case of brittle materials, since they don't
have yield point for predicting strength at yield we use this method of
0.2% proof strength. Further, 0.2% is constant strain when specimen is
loaded under tension.
Feb 24, 2015

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Phaniraj C Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research

1) To add on to the above answers, certainly the yield stress measured
by 0.2% offset strain method is "arbitrary" (answered by Prof. Germn
Prieto/Prof. Pavel N. Yakushev ). While determining yield stress using

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tension test, to avoid dynamic effects, the rate of load application has to
be slow (as answered by Prof. Tarik mer Ourtani) such that it is quasistatic . But the rate of loading may vary with different materials. Further,
this offset strain of 0.2% for yield stress is by ASTM, whereas in England,
0.1% and 0.5 % is commonly used. Essentially 0.2% offset method of
yield stress gives reproducible values though it is an approximate
measure (and accepted in engineering sense) of the transition form

QUESTION FOLLOWERS (15)

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elastic to onset of plastic deformation. But for metals and alloys (e.g.
mild steel) that display distinct yield point phenomenon (i.e., upper yield
stress, lower yield stress and yield point elongation) due to dislocation solute interactions, generally it is preferred to take the lower yield stress
value, as this value is less sensitive to dynamic effects and is also
conservative. (for YS: please see the link if you have access:
http://www.mts.com/university/Tension_Test.pdf)

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10

2) Also please see an "interesting and different view point on yield

stress and its definition" by Prof. Richard M. Christensen, Stanford
University, USA:(a) "Observations on the definition of yield stress", Richard M.
Christensen, Acta Mechanica, March 2008, Volume 196, Issue 3-4, pp
239-244. OR
(b) "Defining Yield Stress and Failure Stress (Strength)", Chapter 9, in
Book on "The Theory of Materials Failure" by Richard M.
Christensen, Oxford University Press (May 8, 2013).

Feb 26, 2015

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Tarik mer Ourtani Middle East Technical University

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Materials Science and Engineering in Western Universities including in

top notch Universities in Turkey. For me it is completely vest of time
spending so much effort to explain the concept of yield point, which is
completely nonsense other than the low-carbon steel, because where it
has only observable facts such as the yield drop followed by a plateau
region in the tensile test environment, and therefore having scientific
and technical merits. This phenomena is solely associated with the
interaction of the anchored dislocation with its carbon (heavy interstitials)
atmosphere in low carbon steel having BCC structure, according to the
Cottrell & Bilby theory.1
A. H. Cottrell and B. A. Bilby, Proc. Phys. Soc., A62: 49 (1960).
Feb 26, 2015

Alfredfranklin V Sardar Raja College of Engineering, Tirunelveli, India

As per ASTM, 0.2% offset method is used for ductile materials/steel
(which is the plastic strain)
Jun 9, 2015

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8/22/2015

Why is the yield strength calculated on the basis of 0.2% or 0.5% strain only? Which is preferred and why ? - ResearchGate
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