What Is Break Test?
The breaking force test is a test in which an increasing tensile load is applied to a specimen while the breaking force and elongation at break are measured. It is a form of the tensile test that focuses on the fracture point.
Purpose of Break Test
The purpose is to determine the maximum load the material can carry and its deformation capacity before fracture.
Which Products Is Break Test Applied To?
- Textile fabric and yarn
- Plastic film and sheet
- Metal wire and strip
- Rope and belt
- Rubber specimens
In Which Sectors Is Break Test Used?
Standards Related to Break Test
- ISO 6892-1
- ISO 527-1
- ISO 13934-1
- ISO 37
Break Test Conditions
- Test speed
- Constant rate defined in the material standard
- Gauge length
- Free length determined per the standard
- Environment
- Conditioning at 23 °C / 50% relative humidity for textiles and polymers
- Grip type
- A grip surface that prevents slipping without cutting the specimen
Equipment for Break Test
- Universal tensile testing machine
- Appropriate grip sets
- Extensometer
- Conditioning chamber
Sample Requirements for Break Test
- Specimen size is cut per the relevant material standard
- For textiles, the weft and warp directions are tested separately
- Generally five specimens per set
- There must be no failure in the grip region
Duration of Break Test
Testing per specimen takes a few minutes; a set including conditioning takes half a working day.
Break Test Procedure
- 1Specimens are prepared to the size defined in the standard.
- 2Conditioning is completed.
- 3The specimen is mounted in the grips so it does not slip.
- 4Load is applied at the defined rate and the failure force is recorded.
- 5The fracture location and elongation at break are determined.
Break Test Acceptance Criteria
The acceptance criterion is given in the product standard as a minimum breaking force and minimum elongation at break.
Evaluation of Results
Specimens that break in the grips are generally invalid and are repeated. The set average and scatter are evaluated together.
Break Test Report
- Standard applied
- Specimen size and direction
- Test speed and conditioning
- Breaking force and elongation values
- Fracture location
Accreditation
EUROLAB holds internationally recognised accreditation obtained from accreditation bodies party to the IAF and ILAC multilateral recognition arrangements, under ISO/IEC 17025 for laboratory testing, ISO/IEC 17020 for inspection and surveillance, and ISO/IEC 17021-1 and ISO/IEC 17065 for system and product certification. This chain ensures the reports and certificates issued are accepted worldwide.
Whether this test can be offered within accredited scope depends on your product and the standard applied; since accreditation is method-based, the scope is confirmed in writing at the quotation stage.
Scope and authorisationsRelated Regulations
- Material and textile product standards
Mekanik Testler — What Does This Testing Field Cover?
The section below describes the field that the Break Test test belongs to; the conditions and acceptance criteria of this particular test are given in the sections above. The scope specific to your product is confirmed in writing at the quotation stage.
Mechanical testing measures how a material or a part behaves under force. The family ranges from static loading (tension, compression, bending) to time-dependent behaviour (fatigue, creep), and from hardness and wear to fracture toughness.
What these tests have in common is that the result is reported as a MATERIAL PROPERTY. Yield strength or hardness is not a conformity decision; it is numerical data against which the design and the product standard will compare. Mechanical test reports are therefore usually an input to an engineering decision rather than to a product approval — material selection, safety factor, life prediction.
The distinction between static and dynamic behaviour is the key to understanding the field. A part may appear entirely unstressed under a static load yet break under repeated loading; fatigue fracture occurs at stresses well below the yield strength and gives no warning. For rotating, vibrating or cyclically loaded parts, a tensile test alone is therefore not sufficient evidence.
Test conditions determine the result, and this is critical for the readability of the report: specimen geometry, loading rate, temperature, conditioning and the gripping arrangement. The same material gives different values under different conditions. In plastics the rate effect is very pronounced, in metals the temperature effect; in composites the specimen orientation changes the result entirely.
Hardness is the most misused measurement in the field. Because it is fast, close to non-destructive and inexpensive, it is often used in place of strength. Conversion tables from hardness to strength exist, but they are APPROXIMATE and depend on the material group; using them as the sole evidence in material acceptance is wrong.
The fracture mechanics side requires a specific competence. Fracture toughness and fatigue crack growth rate measurements make it possible to calculate how long a cracked structure will last; they are the basis of damage-tolerant design in fields such as pressure equipment, aircraft structures and pipelines.
Method groups in this field
Static tests
Tension, compression, bending, shear and torsion. Yield and tensile strength, elongation and modulus of elasticity are obtained.
Impact tests
Charpy and Izod notch impact; the brittle-to-ductile transition behaviour of the material is determined as a function of temperature.
Hardness
Brinell, Vickers, Rockwell, Shore and micro hardness. Valuable for surface treatment depth and local differences in strength.
Fatigue
Force- and strain-controlled axial fatigue, fatigue in bending; S-N curves and the endurance limit.
Creep and stress relaxation
Behaviour under long-term load at high temperature; decisive for boiler, turbine and pressure equipment materials.
Fracture mechanics
Plane-strain fracture toughness, the J integral, CTOD and fatigue crack growth rate.
Wear and friction
Taber and rotating drum abrasion, coefficient of friction measurements.
Commonly confused in this field
- Calculating strength from hardness is approximate; it cannot be used as the sole evidence in material acceptance.
- Adequate static strength does not demonstrate fatigue strength; a cyclically loaded part requires a separate test.
- If test rate and temperature are not reported, the result cannot be compared — especially for polymers and composites.
- A test specimen and the actual part may not give the same value; moulding orientation, weld lines and differences in surface treatment all have an effect.
- A strength value given for a composite without stating the specimen orientation is meaningless.
- ASTM and ISO counterparts measure the same quantity but use different specimen geometries; the results are not treated as directly equivalent.
Which decisions these results support
- Design verification and material selection
- Incoming material control and supplier approval
- Meeting the mechanical requirements of the product standard
- Failure analysis, life prediction and damage tolerance calculation
- Verifying heat treatment and surface treatment processes
Related Tests
Frequently Asked Questions About Break Test
According to which standard is Break Test made?
Break Test is executed in scope ISO 6892-1, ISO 527-1, ISO 13934-1 and ISO 37. The limit values and acceptance criteria to be applied are defined in the product standard; The version valid for your product is confirmed in writing at the offer stage.
Which products does Break Test apply to?
Mainly applied to Textile fabric and yarn, Plastic film and sheet, Metal wire and strip, Rope and belt and Rubber specimens. Whether your product is included in the scope is determined by examining its technical specifications and intended use.
Under what conditions is Break Test done?
The determining parameters are: Test speed — Constant rate defined in the material standard, Gauge length — Free length determined per the standard and Environment — Conditioning at 23 °C / 50% relative humidity for textiles and polymers. The full terms are in the "Test Conditions" section on the page and vary depending on the product standard.
What kind of sample is needed for Break Test?
Specimen size is cut per the relevant material standard, For textiles, the weft and warp directions are tested separately and Generally five specimens per set. The number of samples is determined according to the product standard and the scope to be reported.
How long does Break Test take?
Testing per specimen takes a few minutes; a set including conditioning takes half a working day. This duration belongs to the experiment itself; sample preparation, queuing and reporting are also evaluated. A realistic schedule for your product is given in the offer.
What is the Break Test result called "appropriate"?
The acceptance criterion is given in the product standard as a minimum breaking force and minimum elongation at break.