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A torsion test is quite instrumental in determining the value of modulus of rigidity of a metallic specimen.

The value of modulus of rigidity can be found out thought observations made during the experiment by using the torsion equation T C_ T1 I p t Ip_ Where, T = Torque applied, Ip = Polar moment of inertia, C = Modulus of rigidity, _ = Angle of twist (radians), and I = Gauge length

Types of torsion tests: The three common forms that torsion testing take include failure, proof and operational. A torsion test for failure requires that the test sample be twisted until it breaks and is designed to measure the strength of the sample. A proof test is designed to observe the material under a specified torque load over a set period of time. Finally, operational testing is measures the materials performance under the expected service conditions of its application. All of these forms of tests may be performed with either torsion only loading or a combination of torsion and axial (tension or compression) loading depending upon the characteristics to be measured.

A torsion test measures the strength of any material against maximum bending forces. It is an extremely common test used in material mechanics to measure how much bend a certain material can withstand before cracking or breaking. This applied bend pressure is referred to as torque. Materials typically used in the manufacturing industry, such as metal fasteners and beams, are often subject to torsion testing to determine their strength u The purpose of torsion testing usually parallels that of uniaxial tension tests. From theexperiment, the shear elastic modulus (G), shear proportional stress ( p ), shear yieldstress ( y ), and the stress-strain behavior in general, can be obtained. However, in contrastto uniaxial tension tests, the stresses are not distributed uniformly over the cross section.Each test will be conducted until failure i.e., it will end in the buckling of the hollowspecimen or fracture for the solid specimen. Thus, this experiment will also allowobserving the different modes of failure for solid and hollow circular shafts made of ductile or brittle materials.Torsion loading results in twisting of one section of a body with respect to a contiguoussection. During the test the angle of twist and the applied torque T are measured as thetest proceeds. For a circular cross-section, in the absence of the other loads, pure shearstress state exists at each point. Torsional elastic shear stresses vary linearly from zero atthe axis of twist to a maximum at the extreme fibers. Thus, in a solid circular bar, whenthe surface fibers reach the yield shear stress they are, in a sense, supported by elasticinterior fibers. Consequently, the elastic resistance of the remainder of the section masksthe effect of yielding of the surface fibers during their early stage of yielding. Usually, itis not until considerable yielding has taken place that any noticeable effect of nonlinearityis apparent using a simple mechanical troptometer to measure the angle of twist (calibrated in increments of 0.2 degrees). Therefore, it is practically impossible todetermine when the extreme fibers of the solid specimen in torsion start to yield. Thisdifficulty is overcome by the use of hollow ( thin-walled ) specimens, which give moresensitive measures of the elastic-plastic transition since all the fibers are at about thesame stress. However, for thin-walled tubes with large ratios of diameter vs. thickness(D/t > 10) there is a tendency for premature local buckling failure to occur. Therefore theactual dimensions of the specimen used must

be carefully chosen.To test the material in torsion the proper test procedure is needed. It involves mounting ashaft into the testing machine, applying torque incrementally and measuring both theapplied torque and the corresponding angle of twist. Using the appropriate formulae,relationships and the measured dimensions, we can determine the shear stress and shearstrain on the shaft. Then, one can plot the torque vs. angle of twist, and shear stress vs.shear strain from which one can find the material properties

nder duress.

The need for torsion testing


Many products and components are subjected to torsional forces during their intended application. With torsion testing, designers are able to understand real-life service conditions, improve product quality, validate design, and also verify actual production process. Products such as biomedical stents, implantable orthopedic devices, fasteners, and automotive steering/suspension components are examples of products that are subjected to torsional stresses in their typical service environment. The types of torsion testing utilized vary depending on the information desired from the material or component. Examples include biomedical type torsional testing for bone, bone screws and plate assemblies. Whether it is for characterizing a torsion insertion test for bone screws, or performing basic failure tests, proof tests, or manufacturing process validation, some type of torsional testing method can be designed and performed to meet the needs of each application.

Analogies to tensile/compression testing


Torsion tests are typically performed to determine the torsional properties of a material or component. Analogous to the properties determined during a tensile/compression test, the "torque versus angle" diagram, for example, is similar to a "stress versus strain" curve. The properties determined include:

Modulus of elasticity in shear Yield shear strength (torsional elastic limit) Ultimate shear strength Modulus of rupture in shear Ductility (along the maximum shear plane) Brittle failure (perpendicular to maximum tensile stress, 45 deg)

Types of torsion tests


Torsion tests can either apply to only a rotational motion or to the application of both axial (tension or compression) and torsional forces (moment). The types of tests include the following: Torsion only: Applies torsional-only loads (torque or moment) to the specimen/device. Axial-torsion: Applies both axial (tension or compression) load and torque. Failure testing: Twisting the product, component, or specimen until failure.

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