Tensile Strength - What is tensile strength?

Definition of TENSILE STRENGTH:

A property of materials that allows them to withstand tensile stress without breaking. Tensile stress refers to pulling or stretching. The tensile strength of a material is the maximum amount of pulling or stretching it can withstand before it breaks (or is permanently deformed). If the stress applied falls short of this maximum, the material will either fully or partly return to its original size and shape.

There are two types of tensile strength. Yield strength defines the amount of tensile stress a material can undergo before it is permanently deformed. Ultimate tensile strength defines the amount of tensile stress a material can undergo before it breaks.

Tensile strength is measured in force per unit area. It is usually expressed in pascals (Pa or 1N/m² – 1 newton per square metre), megapascals (MPa – 1 million pascals) or gigapascals (GPa – 1 billion pascals). In the US, it is expressed in pounds per square inch (psi).

In labelling, the tensile strength of sheets of labels allows those sheets to remain in one piece during the manufacturing and printing processes, where sheets are pulled through various sets of rollers. The tensile strength of labels allows them to remain in one piece even when labelled items are stretched or pulled. 

Here is the Harvard-style citation to use if you would like to reference this definition of the term tensile strength:
Label Planet (2025) What is tensile strength definition | Labelplanet. Available at: https://www.labelplanet.co.uk/glossary/tensile-strength/ (Accessed: January 1, 2025).