Mechanical Behavior of Materials
The Mechanics Department at Southern Research has a well-established measurement capability and is widely recognized as the top laboratory in the country for high temperature mechanical evaluation of advanced materials. Test conditions include ambient/normal and extreme environments at temperatures ranging from cryogenic to over 5500°F (3000°C). Materials evaluated include polymer, metal and ceramic matrix composites, metal alloys graphites, carbon and graphites based composites, monolithic ceramics and others. Material properties are typically determined by techniques equivalent to or more rigorous than requirements imposed by ASTM methods.
Contact:
Terry R. Barnett
Manager, Experimental Mechanics
205-581-2378
Barnett@southernresearch.org
Static Properties
Creep & Stress Rupture
Fatigue Properties
Thermal Protection Materials for Hypersonic Applications
Static Properties
Tension
- Gas-Bearing (Vacuum/Pressure, RT to 3000°F Air, Cryogenic to 5500°F Inert)
- Hydrostatic Ring Tension (RT to 4500°F Inert, RT to 2200°F Air)
- Yarn/Filament/Fiber (RT to 5000°F Inert, RT to 2500°F Air)
- Precision Elastic Limit
Compression
- Gas Bearing (Vacuum/Pressure, Cryogenic to 5500°F Inert)
- Hydrostatic Ring Compression (RT to 4500°F Inert)
- Controlled Face Support (~ASTM D695 RT to 2800°F Air)
Shear
- Torsion (Cryogenic to 5500°F Inert)
- Double-Notch Shear (Cryogenic to 5500°F Inert, RT to 2800°F Air)
- Iosipescu Shear (Cryogenic to 5500°F Inert)
- Button Torsion (RT to 5500°F Inert)
- Plate
Flexure
- 3-,4-point Bend (Cryogenic to 5500°F Inert)
- Short Beam Shear (Cryogenic to 5500°F Inert)
Dynamic Modulus
- Ultrasonic (Cryogenic to RT)
- Young's and Shear via Resonant Frequency (RT to ~1800°F)
Heat-Treatment Furnaces to 5750°F
Creep & Stress Rupture
- 36 Creep Frames (RT to 3000°F Air)
- Yarn/Fiber/Tow (RT to 5000°F Inert, RT to 2800°F Air)
- Flex Creep (RT to ~ 2100°F)
Fatigue Properties
- Tension (Cryogenic to 3000°F Air)
- Compression (RT to 2800°F Air)
- Interlaminar Shear (RT to 2800°F Air)
Thermal Protection Materials for Hypersonic Applications
Evaluation of Thermal Protection Materials/Systems
- Plan and field tests in government supported test facilities (AEDC, Ames)
- Custom-designed hardware and test instrumentation
- In-depth temperature measurements
- Dwell calorimeters
- Passive or cooled leading edges and nosetips
- Thermal/mass loss modeling and post-test analysis
