What is the Materials Selector multi-solver?

Materials Selector is a guided workflow that chains 4 individual PolySim solvers into one end-to-end analysis, piping each result into the next step.

Yes. Every step runs entirely in your browser using real numerics — no install, no account, no cloud cost. Custom or private solver packs are available as a paid service.

Chemistry & Materials Pack · Multi-Solver

Materials Selector

Strength to fatigue. This multi-solver chains 4 solvers into a single guided workflow — run each step in order and carry the result forward.

Workflow steps

or unlock everything with Pro →

Stress Strain

open full solver →

Stress-Strain CurveLive

tensile testing

Controls

Presets

Applied strain

Pull on a material and its stress-strain curve tells its story: a straight elastic region with slope equal to Young's modulus, a yield point where permanent deformation begins, a peak at the ultimate tensile strength, and finally fracture. Ductile metals stretch far; brittle ones like cast iron snap with almost no warning.

▶ Run in Python

Data Inspector

Young's modulus200 GPa

Current stress294 MPa

UTS400 MPa

Regionplastic

Governing equation

σ = E ε, E = 200 GPa, ε = 0.050, σ \approx 294 MPa

Reading this result: Past yield (250 MPa): Mild steel is deforming permanently and hardening toward its 400 MPa ultimate strength.

Runs locally in your browser — free forever. Scale to the cloud when reality gets heavy.

↓

Mohrs Circle

open full solver →

Mohr's CircleLive

2D stress transformation

Controls

Presets

σx (MPa)

σy (MPa)

τxy (MPa)

Mohr's circle is a graphical way to transform a 2D stress state to any rotated axis. The circle's center is the average normal stress and its radius is the maximum shear. Where it crosses the horizontal axis gives the principal stresses — the orientation with zero shear. Educational tool.

▶ Run in Python

Data Inspector

σ₁ (max principal)92.4 MPa

σ₂ (min principal)7.6 MPa

τmax42.4 MPa

Principal angle22.5°

Governing equation

σ_{1, 2} = \frac{80 + 20}{2} \pm (\frac{80 - 20}{2})^{2} + 3 0^{2} = 92.4, 7.6 MPa

Reading this result: The circle radius sets τmax = 42.4 MPa on planes 45° from the principals; rotate the element by 22.5° to reach the shear-free principal orientation.

Runs locally in your browser — free forever. Scale to the cloud when reality gets heavy.

↓

Fatigue

open full solver →

Fatigue (S-N Curve)Live

failure under cyclic load

Controls

Presets

Ultimate strength (MPa)

Stress amplitude (MPa)

Ferrous (has endurance limit)

Repeated loading well below the ultimate strength can still break a part — metal fatigue. The S-N curve plots stress amplitude against cycles to failure. Steels have an endurance limit: below it they last essentially forever, but aluminum has none and eventually fails at any stress. Cause of many catastrophic aircraft and bridge failures.

▶ Run in Python

Data Inspector

Endurance limit250 MPa

Cycles to failure1.17e+5

Verdictfinite life

Governing equation

N = (\frac{σ _{a}}{σ _{f}^{'}})^{1/ b}, σ_{a} = 300 MPa \Rightarrow N = 1.17 e + 5 cycles

Reading this result: At 300 MPa the part fails after about 1.2e+5 cycles. Drop below the 250 MPa endurance limit to reach infinite life.

Runs locally in your browser — free forever. Scale to the cloud when reality gets heavy.

↓

Thermal Expansion

open full solver →

Thermal ExpansionLive

materials grow with heat

Controls

Presets

Original length (m)

Temperature change (°C)

Heat a material and it expands: ΔL = α·L·ΔT, where α is the coefficient of linear expansion. Area grows at twice that rate and volume at three times. It is why bridges have expansion joints, why rails buckle in heat, and why Invar — with almost zero expansion — is prized for precision instruments.

▶ Run in Python

Data Inspector

α23 µm/m·°C

Length change11.5 mm

Area change0.230 m²

Volume change3.450 m³

Governing equation

Δ L = α L_{0} Δ T = (23 \times 1 0^{- 6}) (10) (50) = 11.5 mm

Reading this result: Heating 10 m of Aluminum by 50°C stretches it about 11.5 mm; area and volume grow 2× and 3× as fast.

Runs locally in your browser — free forever. Scale to the cloud when reality gets heavy.

Need a private, branded version?

We build custom solvers and workflows for labs, firms, agencies, and courses — your parameters, your branding, your data.

Explore Custom Solver Sets →

More in the Chemistry & Materials pack

Reaction Engineering Kit Reactor Designer Distillation Column pH & Buffer Lab Electrochem Cell Combustion Analyzer Gas Process Kit Polymerization

Frequently asked questions

What is the Materials Selector multi-solver?: Materials Selector is a guided workflow that chains 4 individual PolySim solvers into one end-to-end analysis, piping each result into the next step.
Is it free to use?: Yes. Every step runs entirely in your browser using real numerics — no install, no account, no cloud cost. Custom or private solver packs are available as a paid service.