Tensile strength analysis

Tensile strength analysis assesses the force required to stretch a material to its breaking point. This fundamental mechanical test provides information on a material's strength, robustness, and ability to withstand uniaxial stress without irreversible deformation. It is a crucial criterion for the plastics, textiles, composites, packaging, and technical materials sectors, particularly for demanding applications. This analysis is essential for product qualification, validating specifications, comparing batches, and optimizing formulations.

Industrial challenges of tensile strength

Tensile strength is one of the most widely used mechanical parameters for predicting a material's behavior in real-world conditions. It allows us to assess a material's ability to withstand stress, determine its elongation capacity, control its breaking strength, and establish usage limits based on the permissible load. In plastic films, it determines tear resistance during packaging. In textiles, it ensures durability and performance in use. In composite materials, it validates layer cohesion and manufacturing quality.

This analysis is also essential to identify non-conformities related to material defects, process variations, supplier changes or aging phenomena.

Analytical methods: tensile testing and ISO 527 standard

The tensile test is performed using a tensile testing machine equipped with jaws adapted to the material being tested. A standardized specimen is subjected to increasing force until it breaks, allowing the following measurements to be taken:
• maximum tensile strength
• elongation before breakage
• Young's modulus (stiffness)
• overall mechanical behavior of the material

ISO 527 is the international standard for testing plastic and polymer materials. Other standards may be applied depending on the sector (textiles, composites, technical films). The device continuously records the applied force and deformation, producing a stress-strain curve used to precisely characterize the material's performance.

Matrices analyzed and applications

Tensile strength analysis is applicable to a wide range of matrices: plastic films, composite materials, textiles, flexible materials, polymers, biomaterials, engineering materials, and extruded or molded parts. Relevant sectors include packaging, plastics processing, technical equipment, consumer goods, industrial materials, non-invasive medical devices, and technical textiles.

This measurement is used in:
• production quality control
• material qualification during product development
• comparison between several formulations or suppliers
• validation of mechanical behavior before market launch
• detection of defects or weaknesses

YesWeLab Support

YesWeLab relies on a network of laboratories specializing in mechanical testing, materials characterization, and polymer analysis. Most of our partners are accredited according to ISO 17025 standards or COFRAC certified, guaranteeing the accuracy, reliability, and reproducibility of results. Thanks to our digital platform, manufacturers can centralize their analysis requests, track their samples in real time, and easily access results. Our scientific team supports you in defining protocols, selecting applicable standards, and interpreting data to meet your industrial, regulatory, or technical challenges.

Since 2020, many manufacturers, processors, design offices and players in the plastics industry have trusted us to evaluate the tensile strength of their materials.

Other analyses from the YesWeLab catalogue

• Analysis of elongation at break
• Measurement of tear resistance
• Flexural and hardness tests
• SEM observation and morphological analysis