27.2: Strain-Energy Density
Understanding the strain energy density in materials under axial load is crucial for evaluating their mechanical behavior and durability. When a rod is subjected to such a load, it elongates and stores energy, known as strain energy, as potential energy within the material. This energy is measured in terms of energy per unit volume.
In the elastic region of a material, the relationship between the stress and the strain is linear and follows Hooke's Law. The strain energy density in this region is calculated from the area under the stress-strain curve up to the elastic limit. This stored energy is recoverable and is referred to as the modulus of resilience, which indicates how much energy the material can absorb and still return to its original shape upon unloading.
Beyond the elastic limit, the material behaves plastically, deforming permanently. In this plastic region, only part of the stored energy is recoverable upon unloading; the rest is lost as heat or used in permanent deformation. The total energy a material can absorb before rupturing is measured by the modulus of toughness.
This value is crucial for applications that require high impact resistance or ductility, aiding in the selection of materials for specific applications and designing structures to withstand mechanical loads.
