Yield Strength
Yield strength is the amount of stress a material can handle before it starts to permanently deform. Below the yield strength, a metal will generally spring back to its original shape when the load is removed. Once the stress goes past yield strength, the metal begins to bend, stretch, or compress in a way that does not fully recover, even after the force is gone.
Yield strength is usually listed in units like psi or ksi in the United States, or MPa in metric, and it is one of the most important values for structural and mechanical design. Many metals do not have a sharp, obvious yield point, so specifications often use a “0.2 percent offset yield strength,” which is a standardized way to define when permanent strain begins. Yield strength is different from tensile strength, which is the maximum stress a material can withstand before it breaks.
Yield strength is usually listed in units like psi or ksi in the United States, or MPa in metric, and it is one of the most important values for structural and mechanical design. Many metals do not have a sharp, obvious yield point, so specifications often use a “0.2 percent offset yield strength,” which is a standardized way to define when permanent strain begins. Yield strength is different from tensile strength, which is the maximum stress a material can withstand before it breaks.
