Elongation At Break

Elongation at break is a material property that indicates the plastic deformation of a material until it breaks. It is defined as a percentage of the original length of a tensile test specimen and reflects the ductility of the material. A high elongation at break means that the material can deform significantly before it fails, which is advantageous for applications that require a certain degree of flexibility.

For stainless steel, especially austenitic steels, the elongation at break is typically between 35% and 40%. This high ductility makes them ideal for applications where a certain amount of deformability without fracture is required. In contrast, ferritic and martensitic stainless steels have lower elongation at break due to their different microstructure. Knowledge of elongation at break is crucial for selecting the appropriate material in design and manufacturing to ensure the desired mechanical properties.