EEE411 – Materials Science and Engineering
Topic 2. Material Testing
Destructive Testing (DT)
This includes methods where your material is broken down in order to determine mechanical properties, such as strength, toughness
and hardness.
Benefits of Destructive Testing
1. It verifies properties of a material
2. It determines the quality of welds
3. It helps you to reduce failures, accidents and costs
4. In ensures compliance with regulations
Types of Destructive Testing
1. Bend Test - sometimes called flexure testing or transverse beam testing, determines the ductility or the strength of a material by
bending the material over a given radius
2. Break Test - compressive load required to fracture or to cause the sample to fail
3. Tensile Test - measures the force required to break a composite or plastic specimen and the extent to which the specimen stretches
or elongates to that breaking point
4. Hardness Test - calculated by measuring the force applied and comparing this to some geometrical aspect of the indentation such as
the surface area or depth
Brinell Test - applying a constant load or force, usually between 187.5 and 3000Kgf, for a specified time (from 10 – 30
seconds) typically using a 2.5 or 10mm diameter tungsten carbide ball
Vicker’s Diamond Test - also referred to as a microhardness test method, is mostly used for small parts, thin sections, or
case depth work
Rockwell Test - measures the permanent depth of indentation produced by a force/load on an indenter
5. Impact Test - determines the amount of energy absorbed by a material during fracture
Non-Destructive Testing
It is a process of inspecting, testing, or evaluating materials, components or assemblies for discontinuities, or differences in
characteristics without destroying the serviceability of the part or system.
Benefits of Non-Destructive Testing
1. Uses non-invasive procedures.
2. Test piece can be reused after the inspection
3. Reduces downtime
4. Improves safety and accident prevention
5. Minimizes any environmental hazards arising from a defect
Major Types of NDT
1. Detection of surface flaws
Visual – most basic and common inspection method. Tools include fiberscope, borescopes, magnifying glasses and mirrors.
Magnetic particle inspection - an inspection method used to identify defects on the surface of ferromagnetic materials by
running a magnetic current through it. It can also be used to detect defects just beneath the surface of materials.
Flourescent dye penetrant inspection - a type of dye penetrant inspection in which a fluorescent dye is applied to the surface
of a non-porous material in order to detect defects that may compromise the integrity or quality of the part in question.
2. Detection of internal flaws
Radiography - uses either x-rays or gamma rays to examine the internal structure of manufactured components identifying
any flaws or defects.
Ultrasonic Testing - the process of using high-frequency sound waves to take measurements. The typical range of the sound
range is 0.1 - 15 MHz and is produced with specialized ultrasonic testing equipment such as an ultrasonic probe or gauge.
Eddy Current Testing - the process of running electronic probes through the length of various types of tubes or along the
surfaces of materials in order to find flaws in them. An eddy current is a current that runs opposite to the current introduced
by a probe into a conductive material.
