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From micro to macro: How does the atomic level affect the compressive strength of materials?
The compressive strength of a material is its ability to reduce in size under compressive loads. In contrast, tensile strength is the resistance to elongated pulling forces. Compressive strength testing is usually carried out using universal testing machines, which allows us to understand the bearing capacity of a specific material when designing a structure. Of course, the behavior of these materials, from the atomic level to the macroscopic scale, is closely related.
At the atomic level, when a material is compressed, the molecules or atoms are forced toward each other, as opposed to being pushed away from each other when it is stretched.
Compression and tension affect materials very differently. When compressed, the material not only shortens, but also undergoes a certain lateral expansion. These changes affect the overall properties and stability of the material. When performing compression tests, the researchers analyze these effects using stress-strain curves to obtain data on compressive strength.
In testing, the material will first follow Hooke's law and exhibit a phase of linear deformation. This means that the deformation of the material at this stage is reversible. However, when the applied load exceeds a certain critical point, the material begins to enter plastic deformation and is unable to return to its original shape even after the load is removed.
The compression strength test is not only related to the physical properties of the material, but also affected by the test method and environmental conditions.
Not only that, friction will also affect the test results of compression strength. When resistance is created between the test specimen and the testing machine due to friction, this can lead to uneven stress distribution in the specimen when it is compressed and can cause a "barrel effect" on circular cross-sections. This means that without controlling friction, test results may show unrealistic strength values.
By using lubricants or low-friction materials, the effect of friction on the results can be reduced, resulting in more accurate data. In addition, data analysis techniques such as finite element analysis (FEA) using three-dimensional models and geometric extrapolation can also help understand the effect of sample shape on compression strength testing.
The geometry of the test specimen and the control of friction are critical to the accurate measurement of compressive strength.
In addition, compression strength testing depends not only on the internal structure of the material, but also on the external environment, such as temperature, humidity, and even the degree of material aging. This means that experimental results conducted in different environments may vary greatly, which is why research in materials science conducts extensive and in-depth exploration of applicability in various environments.
In the field of materials science, the exploration of compressive strength continues to advance. The understanding of compressive strength is increasing with the development of new materials, for example in polymers and composites. The structure and properties of these materials are the comprehensive results from micro to macro.
The conclusion is that the arrangement, bonding and interaction patterns of atoms fundamentally affect the compressive strength of the material, and this effect is further modified by the geometry of the sample and changes in the external environment. Against this backdrop, how will future research deepen our understanding of the performance of various materials under compressive loading?
