Definition of Strain-To-Failure in materials science

[pkgem]

Hi,

 

I am doing an assignment for my final project for my Open University Chemisty degree. I am doing it on cellulose bionanocomposites. I'm doing ok with the "normal" chemistry but I am struggling with some of the materials science. Some of the papers I have researched report upon the "strain-to-failure" of the bionanocomposite films they have produced. I know that strain-to-failure measures the amount of strain a solid material can withstand before it "fails", is calculated from measurements gained from stress-strain curves and is expressed as a percentage. What I don't understand is what the percentage is actually measuring - what is it a percentage of? I have performed google searches and looked through the material science books I have to hand but have received no joy. Please can anyone help or advise me?

 

Many thanks,

Gemma

[Mokele]

It's just like strain - percent elongation. If you have a strain-to-failure of 3%, that means a 10cm sample will be 10.3 cm long when it breaks.

[pkgem]

Thanks Mokele! I actually managed to find a colleague who helped me with this but your input has just clarified the my ultimate realisation that strain-to-failure is the same as elongation-at-break. So, many thanks for responding - just the help I needed at just the right time!