Yield and Ultimate Properties

The mechanical properties of steels and alloys are a result from not only the chemical composition, but also their methods of manufacture. The potential for quality, durability and performance of materials are valuable to the structural designer who may want to consider a variety of different materials for a design. It can't be stressed enough that the provided data is a guide only and a good engineer will seek guidance from the manufacturer.

Yield Strength

The yield strength or yield point of the material is defined as the stress at which a material begins to deform plastically. Prior to the yield point the material will deform elastically and will return to its original shape when the applied stress is removed.

Ultimate Strength

The Ultimate Tensile strength is a measurement of the force required to pull something to the point where it breaks. The tensile strength of a material is the maximum amount of tensile stress that it can take before failure, an example being breaking.

1. Aerospace Specification Metals (ASM). (2019). AISI Type 304 stainless steel AISI type. Retrieved from http://asm.matweb.com/search/SpecificMaterial.asp?bassnum=mq304a
2. E.O. Hall. Yield Point Phenomena in Metals and Alloys. Plenum Press, NY. 1970. Print.
3. Engineering Toolbox. (n.d.). Young’s modulus – tensile and yield strength for common materials. Retrieved from https://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/young-modulus-d_417.html
4. I. Polmear. D. StJohn. J.F. Nie. M.Quian. Light Alloys, Metallurgy of the Light Metals. Elsevier, UK, USA. 2016. Print.
5. N.F. Mott, H. Jones. The Theory of the Properties of Metals and Alloys. Dover Publications, USA. 1958. Print.