TITLE

Impact Toughness of Metallic Materials

OBJECTIVE

 Study the principles of brittle fracture in mild steels

 Understand the impact toughness of materials with different heat and strengthening treatments
 Interpret obtained experimental data for the selection of engineering materials

INTRODUCION
The two tests (Charpy and Izod) use different specimens and methods of holding the specimens, but both
tests make use of a pendulum-testing machine. For both tests, the specimen is broken by a single overload
event due to the impact of the pendulum.
The standard test for measuring impact energy is the Charpy test.(Fig 1) The Charpy impact test, also known
as the Charpy V-notch test, is a standardized high strain-rate test that determines the amount of energy
absorbed by a material during fracture. This absorbed energy is a measure of a given material’s notch
toughness and acts as a tool to study temperature-dependent ductile ubrittle transition. It is widely applied
in industry, since it is easy to prepare and conduct and results can be obtained quickly and cheaply.
The test was developed around 1900 by S.B. Russell (1898, American) and Georges Charpy (1901, French).
The test became known as the Charpy test in the early 1900s because of the technical contributions and
standardization efforts by Charpy.
This gives an indication of the characteristics of the material during fracture. An arm is swung down in a
pendulum motion to impact with the test material. The energy required to fracture the sample is recorded.
Impact tests are used not also to measure the energy absorbing capacity of the material subjected to sudden
loading; but also to determine the transition temperature from ductile to brittle behavior.

Fig 1: Charpy Test Apparatus

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THEORY

 Charpy Impact Test:

Charpy test is the test different from Izod test that the testing specimen is placed in the horizontally position
with V-shaped cutting surface area facing to the pendulum.
The test piece is hit by a striker carried on a pendulum which is allowed to fall freely from a fixed height,
to give energy. After fracturing the test piece, the height to which the pendulum rises is recorded by a slave
friction pointer mounted on the dial, from which the absorbed energy amount is read.

This V- notch is cut across the middle of one face, and the striker hits the opposite face directly behind the
notch.

When the results of a number of tests performed in different temperatures are plotted, ductile-to-brittle
transition curves, as in Fig. 3, may be obtained. There is a strong correlation between the energy absorbed
and the proportion of the cross-section which suffers deformation in fracture, and the fracture surface is
frequently described in terms of the percentage of its area which is crystalline in appearance. Typical
fracture appearances with crystallinity increases as the temperature is reduced.

MATERIAL AND APPARATUS

 Charpy impact test machine

 Mild steel
 V notch maker
 An oven ( to heat the metal piece )
 A Freezer ( to cool the metal piece)

PROCEDURE

1. Frist the specimen was choosen and the V notch was made

2. Before using the machine it was cheacked whether it is working properly by letting it move freely.

3. Then check the zero calibration of the impact tester.

4. After that the Charpy V-notch specimen is placed across parallel jaws in the impact-testing
machine with the help of centering device.

5. Later the hammer is released from the initial height downward towards the sample.

6. After the steel piece broken in to two pieces and the energy which is absorbed by the
steel(Toughness) is measured using the meter.

7. Finally those steps are repeated for another three steel specimens in three different temperatures.
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RESULT

Sample no: Sample Notch type Temperature Broken or Toughness Percent

details unbroken reading ductility

1 Mild steel V shape 28 °C Broken 22 J 14.67%

2 Mild steel V shape -37 °C Broken 10 J 6.67%

3 Mild steel V shape 150 °C Broken 84 J 56%

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CONCLUSION

Ductile- Brittle transition temperature

 In both types of impact testing presence of notch is studied alone, so far and resulting transition from
ductile to brittle behavior is studied.

 The effect of varying temperatures can also be studied by providing a range of temperatures to the
notch specimen. So that the ‘low temperature’ can be found out for the given material at which it will
start behaving from completely brittle(here we used -37c as our lower temperature point).

 To estimate the DBTT (ductile brittle transition temperature) of the mild steel material. The material
is undergone notched impact testing over a range of temperatures.

 At high temperatures impact energy is relatively large (here we used 150c as our high temperature
point)

 As temperature drops the impact energy drops suddenly over a very narrow temperature range.

 Below that temperature, impact energy has almost constant but very small value

 Ductile – brittle transition takes place over a range of temperature instead of a sharp value of
temperature

 Therefore, it is difficult to define from a single temperature.

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REFERENCES

 FASI UR RAHMAN, 2016, Pakistan, Charpy impact test, Available from :

<https://theconstructor.org/practical-guide/material-testing/charpy-impact-test/1406/>, [1st
September 2019]

 N.SABA,M.T.H.SULTAN, 2019, Mechanical and Physical Testing of Biocomposites, Fibre-

Reinforced Composites and Hybrid Composites, An overview of mechanical and physical testing
of composite materials, Available from: <
https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/engineering/charpy-impact-test>, [1st September 2019]

 TWI LTD( Head Ofiice), 2018, Granta Park, Great Abington, Cambridge, CB21 6AL, UK, What
is Charpy Testing?, Available from: <https://www.twi-global.com/technical-knowledge/faqs/faq-
what-is-charpy-testing,
[1st September 2019]

 SCHOOL OF MATERIALS SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING, 11/12/2013, Australia, Charpy

Impact Test, Available from: <http://www.materials.unsw.edu.au/tutorials/online-tutorials/1-
charpy-impact-test>, [1st September 2019]

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