Materials property testing using a stress-strain microprobe

The Stress-Strain Microprobe (SSM) uses an automated ball indentation technique to obtain flow data from a localized region of a test specimen or component. This technique is used to rapidly determine the yield strength and microstructural condition of a variety of materials including pressure vessel steels, stainless steels, and nickel-base alloys. The SSM provides an essentially non-destructive technique for the measurement of yield strength data. This technique is especially suitable for the study of complex or highly variable microstructures such as weldments and weld heat affected zones. In this study 119 distinct SSM determinations of the yield strength of eight engineering alloys are discussed and compared to data obtained by conventional tensile tests. The sensitivity of the SSM to the presence of residual stresses is also discussed