Method for determining the true stress of cross-shaped specimens subjected to biaxial tensile loads

For typical cross-shaped specimens subjected to simultaneous biaxial tensile loads, the specimens’ central section would elongate along different directions under plane stress condition. Consequently, the width of the specimens’ gauge length section would gradually decrease along the tensile direction, and true stress, which is based on the instantaneous width, is different from the values obtained from uniaxial tensile tests. To calculate the true stress of cross-shaped specimens, a horizontal biaxial tensile device was developed to apply the equi-biaxial loads. An optical observation method was adopted to measure the specimen’s true deformation. Then, an exponential fitting method was proposed on basis of the true deformation to describe the nonlinear deformation trajectory of the specimen’s gauge length section. Based on a theoretical model, the calculation method of the true stress was established, and the relationships between the true and engineering stress-strain curves were also discussed.