Poisson’s ratio

The material constant that indicates the ratio of transverse strain to longitudinal strain when a material is deformed is called Poisson’s ratio or transverse strain coefficient.
The Poisson’s ratio describes how much a material shrinks in the transverse direction when it is stretched in the longitudinal direction. Typical values for the Poisson’s ratio for plastics are between 0.3 and 0.5.
A high Poisson’s ratio means that the material shrinks significantly in the transverse direction when stretched longitudinally. The Poisson’s ratio is important for calculating deformations and stresses in complex components and is frequently used in materials science and engineering. Its precise determination is crucial for the design of components in order to correctly predict their deformation behavior under load.

Poisson's ratio in Injection Molding

Quality: Temperature dependence of the Poisson’s ratio for different materials.

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This glossary of plastic industry is provided by PLEXPERT Canada Inc.