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Parameter Extraction in Experimental Material Characterization

In experimental material characterization, the determination of material parameters represents the final and most critical step in the evaluation of test data. Mechanical, thermal and viscoelastic tests—such as tensile testing, cyclic loading, creep and relaxation experiments, or dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA)—require multiple data transformations before characteristic values or model parameters can be derived.

These transformations include, for example, conversion between engineering and true measures, selection of evaluation intervals, cycle reduction, filtering, normalization, or time–temperature superposition. In accordance with ISO and ASTM test methodologies, these steps must be performed in a controlled and traceable manner to ensure that extracted parameters are physically meaningful and reproducible.

In practice, parameter extraction is often carried out using general-purpose evaluation software, spreadsheets or custom scripts. While such tools can reproduce numerical results, they provide limited support for structured evaluation and plausibility assessment as required in standardized testing environments. As a result, experienced material engineers must invest considerable effort to document assumptions, verify intermediate results and ensure consistency across tests and projects.

Typical challenges in standardized parameter extraction workflows:

• Discontinuous evaluation workflows across multiple software environments
• Insufficient transparency of data transformations and evaluation assumptions
• Limited support for plausibility assessment in accordance with test standards
• High manual effort for recurring evaluation procedures
• Restricted reproducibility and traceability of extracted parameters

Structured Parameter Extraction Using Matlytics Extractions

Extractions in Matlytics provide dedicated evaluation environments for the determination of material parameters from experimental test data. Each Extraction is aligned with a specific test type and evaluation objective and follows established analysis procedures commonly applied in ISO- and ASTM-compliant material characterization.

Rather than relying on generic plots or script-based post-processing, Matlytics integrates all relevant data representations into a single, structured view. For example, tensile test evaluations may include engineering and true stress–strain curves, strain derivatives for modulus determination, and clearly defined evaluation ranges. Cyclic tests can be reduced to representative hysteresis loops, while DMA data can be transformed into master curves for the identification of viscoelastic model parameters such as Prony series coefficients.

All applied data transformations remain explicit and adjustable. Evaluation ranges, smoothing parameters, cycle definitions and shift factors are documented as part of the extraction, enabling systematic plausibility checks and ensuring compliance with internal or external documentation requirements.

By combining standardized evaluation logic with expert-controlled parameter selection, Matlytics supports consistent and traceable parameter determination across tests, materials and projects.

Resulting benefits for technical and organizational workflows:

• Transparent and documented derivation of material parameters
• Improved reproducibility in accordance with standardized test procedures
• Reduced manual effort for recurring evaluation tasks
• Consistent parameter quality across users and projects
• Reliable material input data for simulation, validation and engineering decision-making

Book a demo to see MatLytics Extractions in action.