Elongation at break
Elongation at break, yield stress and tensile strength are fundamental parameters that describe the mechanical robustness of plastics. They provide information about how well a plastic can withstand tensile loading.
When a plastic is exposed to excessive mechanical stress, it reaches its breaking point. Interestingly, unreinforced plastics show ductile deformation in such situations, while reinforced plastics tend to behave in a brittle manner. These differences in the response to loads are decisive for the areas of application and the selection of the right material for specific applications.