Mechanical Strength of Carbon Materials
Carbon materials have a wide range of potential applications in a variety of industries due to their unique properties, such as high strength, light weight, wear resistance, thermal stability and corrosion resistance. Mechanical strength is one of the important performance parameters for assessing the quality of carbon materials. It is closely related to other properties and can directly affect the structural design and the life of the products.
Mechanical properties are the basic and most important properties among the various performance parameters. The mechanical strength of carbon materials refers to the resistance of the material to external mechanical force, including toughness, strength, plasticity, fatigue strength and wear resistance. It expresses the capacity of the material to withstand various external forces, such as tension, compression, shear, torsion, bending and impact, without causing failure.
In general, the mechanical strength of carbon materials is related to factors such as the type of material, structure, thermal treatment process, and density of the material. For the same material, the mechanical strength will be different at different temperatures and load conditions. The mechanical strength of the material is mainly classified into three categories, tensile strength, compressive strength and bending strength.
The tensile strength is the resistance of a material to a tensile force. It is the maximum external load a material can bear without breaking or deforming. It increases with the increase of the strain, up to the maximum tensile strength. It is also related to elasticity and toughness of the material.
The compressive strength is the resistance of a material to a compressive force. It is the maximum amount of pressure a material can sustain without cracking, denting or suffering other permanent deformation. It is mainly dependent on the degree of shear stress, becoming the lowest when shear stress is highest.
The bending strength is the resistance of a material to bending. It is the maximum amount of absolute bending moment a material can withstand without breaking. It is related to both the tensile strength and compressive strength of the material.
The wear resistance of carbon materials is related to the mechanical strength, and it also adds a valuable parameter to the assessment of the quality of carbon materials. The wear resistance of carbon materials describes the ability of the material to resist mechanical wear, when either a sliding contact is made or an abrasive material is abrading the surface. It primarily depends on the strength, elasticity and heat treat process of the material, which directly affect the hardness and wear resistance.
In conclusion, the mechanical strength of carbon materials can be classified into three categories such as tensile strength, compressive strength and bending strength. It is mainly dependent on the type of material, structure, thermal treatment process, and density of the material, and it is also related to the wear resistance of the material. To ensure the quality of the carbon materials, it is important to assess the mechanical strength of the material before using it for the intended purpose.
