Deciding between tensile fatigue testing and flexural fatigue testing for plastic materials depends on what kind of stress the material will face in its actual use.
Tensile fatigue testing pulls on a sample over and over until it breaks, which is good for materials that mainly stretch in their use.
Flexural fatigue testing bends a sample repeatedly, mimicking situations like beams or shelves.
To choose, think about how the material will be stressed in real life. If it's mostly pulled apart, go for tensile testing. If it's more about bending, then flexural testing is the way to go.
Hi, there are three basic modes of mechanical deformation - tension, compression, and shear. A flexture is a complex mode consisting from a tension on one side, shear in the middle, and compression on the opposite side. Generally speaking, some micromechanical effects can only apply in specific modes, influencing the properties. For instance, a rope may be tough in tension, but it would be very plyable and collapse under compression. The testing of your part should reflect the loading conditions as close as possible. Also, its not uncommon to do more tests on the same material to see how it behaves in different situations.
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