Mohammad Jassim Hussain.

International Journal of Engineering Research and Applications

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ISSN: 2248-9622, Vol. 11, Issue 10, (Series-IV) October 2021, pp. 59-63

RESEARCH ARTICLE OPEN ACCESS

Charpy Impact Test on Mild Steel

(Mohammad Jassim Hussain)
ABSTRACT
The overall purpose of this research is to explore the usage of an impact testing machine, specifically the Charpy
Impact Test device, to better understand the principles behind impact testing in order to further develop
engineering skills in materials selection. In this context, the research problem focuses on the importance of
subjecting sample materials to impact testing and its implications to the profession. This author utilizes
information from reliable sources of engineering literature and applies the information to experimentation using
the Charpy Impact Test to develop the most ideal approach to materials testing and selection. The author found
that engineers must always be aware that the strength of a material can only be increased at the expense of
toughness, and this means that engineers must ensure that there must be sufficient strength with maximized
toughness to avoid experiencing cracks that may hit a critical flaw size which would progress toward material
failure.
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Date of Submission: 18-10-2021 Date of Acceptance: 02-11-2021
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I. INTRODUCTION II when one of the problems that the US Navy was

The concept of toughness in products, facing was that they did not have a complete
structures, or anything useful is important in the understanding of the impact of the heat treatment
day-to-day lives of people. If a mobile phone is that the metal would experience as the process of
accidentally dropped on the ground and the glass welding took place, and how that welding would
does not shatter, this is because the glass is have an impact on the mechanical properties [1].
specifically engineered to have a certain degree of The Charpy Impact Test was developed as a quick
toughness to it. Or perhaps if a person is hitting way to see how tough the metal was. If a person
something with a hammer, it would not be good for wants to know if a piece of material will dent or
the head of the hammer to shatter, so it must have a shatter when it is hit with a hammer, the Charpy
sufficient level of toughness associated with it. For Impact Test can give an idea regarding this. This
impact testing of mild steel, the Charpy Impact Test can be useful in finding out how tough a certain
can provide information on how much energy a material, or a certain treatment for a material, is.
specimen such as mild steel can absorb under an There are instances when the strength of the
impact scenario. In this context, the following material, or how much weight it can hold, is not the
sections will present information on: 1) impact primary concern; rather, it may be more important
testing; 2) effect of temperature; 3) 17-4PH test how the material would respond to impacts or
material; 4) impact toughness of 17-4PH in H900 cracks. Although the Charpy Impact Test device
condition; 5) impact toughness of 17-4PH in H1025 cannot be used for design purposes, the Charpy
condition; 6) impact toughness of 17-4PH in H1150 energy value allows a quick comparison of different
condition; 7) plotting, and; 8) conclusion. Engineers materials or different treatments.
must always be aware that the strength of a material The physics behind the Charpy Impact Test
can only be increased at the expense of toughness, device is quite simple. As shown in Figure 1 below,
and this means that engineers must ensure that there it begins by using a bar with a v-notch; the bar is hit
must be sufficient strength with maximized with a pendulum which has a potential energy
toughness to avoid experiencing cracks that may hit associated with it: Mass x Gravity x Height. If the
a critical flaw size which would progress toward pendulum were to swing freely, it would end up on
material failure. the opposite side of the swing and reach the same
height. However, if the pendulum is made to impact
II. IMPACT TESTING a specimen or sample, it would take a certain
The Charpy Impact Test was named after amount of energy to break the sample. In doing this,
the man who invented it in the late 1930s as the the energy associated with the pendulum is reduced.
United States was getting ready to enter World War When the pendulum breaks the specimen, it swings

www.ijera.com DOI: 10.9790/9622-1110045963 59 | P a g e

Mohammad Jassim Hussain. International Journal of Engineering Research and Applications
www.ijera.com
ISSN: 2248-9622, Vol. 11, Issue 10, (Series-IV) October 2021, pp. 59-63

to a lower height: Mass x Gravity x Height, minus this, it is possible to characterize how much energy
the energy absorbed by the test sample. By doing different materials [with same size] can absorb.

Charpy Impact Test Unit

Fig. 1: Mechanical principle of the Charpy Impact Test device [2].

Results gathered from the Charpy Impact pendulum would not swing as high on the other
Test are important because they determine the right side, as compared to the height of the pre-release
material for a specific application. The use of [i.e. initial] position. The difference between the
materials that do not meet the requirements can have initial and the final height of the pendulum
fatal consequences. When coldness and strong force determines the notched bar impact work of the
impacts are combined, some steel can become brittle specimen. The notched bar impact work is given in
and can soon break. The Charpy Impact Test is a joules and can be read from the scale on the testing
destructive material method. This test method device.
provides information about the material’s resistance
to sudden stress. The toughness depends on three 2.1. Effect of Temperature
factors: 1) temperature; 2) notch form, and; 3) the Some metal materials such as structural
material’s composition or the resulting lattice steel with body-centered cubic [BCC] lattices tend
structure. to become brittle at low temperatures. If such
The specimens that are used for the Charpy materials are tested with a Charpy Impact Test at
Impact Test are 55 millimeters long and a cross low temperatures, the result would be a brittle
section of 10x10 sq. mm. The specimens are fracture wherein the specimen would have a smooth
notched for better control of the fracture process. fracture and the fracture surface would have a micro
Two different notch shapes can be used: v-shaped crystalline appearance. Ductile materials deform
notch or u-shaped notch. Since the toughness of the first before breaking, and the observer can recognize
materials also depends on the temperature, such ductile fracture by their deformed edges. There
specimens can be brought to a desired temperature are, however, also specimens that can exhibit both
on a climatic cabinet and then removed immediately micro crystalline areas as well as deformed spots.
before the test. The specimen is then placed in the This type is called a mixed fracture.
Charpy Impact Test unit with the notch facing the Since notched bar impact work strongly
direction of the pendulum impact, and the pendulum depends on the temperature, the measured values
is released. can be plotted against the temperature. As presented
When the pendulum hammer breaks the in Figure 2, the energy absorbed temperature curve
specimen, a portion of its kinetic energy will be can be divided into three sections: upper shelf,
absorbed by the deformation process; therefore, the transition zone, and lower shelf.

www.ijera.com DOI: 10.9790/9622-1110045963 60 | P a g e

Mohammad Jassim Hussain. International Journal of Engineering Research and Applications
www.ijera.com
ISSN: 2248-9622, Vol. 11, Issue 10, (Series-IV) October 2021, pp. 59-63

Energy Absorbed Temperature Curve

Fig. 2: Upper shelf, transition zone, and lower shelf curve.

The upper shelf would indicate good importance to the material selection, both the
toughness at high temperatures. Ductile fractures temperature as well as the value obtained for the
also occur in the upper shelf. The lower shelf, on the notched bar impact work [as shown in Figure 2: KU
other hand, would indicate lower notched toughness = 27J] can be specified in the materials designation,
values at low temperatures, and the material would especially when it comes to structural steel.
have a smooth fracture which is indicative of a
brittle fracture. Finally, the transition zone would 2.2. 17-4PH Test Material
indicate the transition range between the upper shelf The sample material that will be discussed
and the lower shelf. The measured values would be in the following subsections is the 17-4PH steel.
scattered extensively in the transition zone; mixed Three sample materials of this steel, each with a
fractures occur here. different heat treatment, will be used. One steel bar
The difference between face-centered is at H900 condition, another at H1025, and a third
cubic metals and body-centered cubic metals exhibit steel bar at H1150 condition; the numbers
itself especially at temperature-dependent impact correspond to the temperature of the treatment [i.e.
stress. The resistance to slip increases sharply with 900F, 1025F, and 1150F]. It can be observed in
decreasing temperature, especially in metals that Figure 3 that the ultimate tensile strength and the
does not have close-packed slip planes. After yield strength vary quite a bit between the different
evaluating the tests carried out with variety test heat treatments. As the temperature is increased, the
temperatures, it is possible to obtain clear yield strength and ultimate tensile strength
indications of a possible transition temperature [TT]. decreases. The Charpy test will show that as
Since knowledge of the transition temperature from strength goes down, toughness goes up.
ductile to brittle mature behavior can be of vital

Heat Treatment Effects to 17-4PH

Fig. 3: Effect of heat treatments to ultimate tensile strength and yield strength.

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Mohammad Jassim Hussain. International Journal of Engineering Research and Applications
www.ijera.com
ISSN: 2248-9622, Vol. 11, Issue 10, (Series-IV) October 2021, pp. 59-63

It is important to realize that within a given underwent very severe deformation at those areas
material like 17-4PH, there can be a number of where a lot of energy was absorbed. This means that
different treatment options available to strike a the larger the shear lip area, the larger the energy
balance between strength and toughness. For that was absorbed.
instance, making a sharp knife would require a
higher strength or higher hardness like the H900 2.2.2. Impact Toughness of 17-4PH in H1025
condition. But if the steel should be mildly structural Condition
and it needs to take a beating, the H1025 or H1150 The H1025 condition is not as strong as the
condition would be more ideal, assuming that H900 condition. As shown in Figure 2, the ultimate
weight is not a concern. The higher strengths tend to tensile strength has dropped from about 190ksi
allow less material due to strength to weight ratio down to 155ksi and the yield strength has dropped
but in doing this, damage tolerance or toughness is from about 170ksi to about 145ksi. However, it can
sacrificed. also be observed in Figure 3 that the toughness has
improved as a result of the change in heat treatment.
2.2.1. Impact Toughness of 17-4PH in H900 After testing, it was measured that the impact energy
Condition for 17-4PH 1025 was about 55 ft-lbf in this case.
Upon subjecting the test material at H900 This is more than twice the energy absorbed by the
condition, results showed that the impact energy previous test material even though the ultimate
value was measured to be about 25 ft-lbf which is tensile strength and yield strength did not drop by
not really good or bad per se because it is all about half.
what the application requires and it is up to the This shows that although not a lot of
engineer to figure out what level of toughness or strength was given up, the sample material gained a
damage tolerance is required. During the actual lot of toughness. It was also observed that the sound
testing, it was observed that the impact produced a produced when the sample material broke was much
somewhat high-pitched sound. This is because as deeper than the H900 condition sample. In regard to
the energy absorbed changes, the sound that is the appearance of the fracture surfaces of the
produced when the sample fractures also changes. samples, it was observed that the shear lips were
much larger than they were in the H900 condition
Fracture-Induced Shear Lips sample. This indicates that the H1025 condition
sample went through much more deformation across
the entire surface of the sample and was able to
absorb more energy.

2.2.3. Impact Toughness of 17-4PH in H1150

Condition
The 17-4PH in the H1150 condition is the
softest of the standard heat treatments available for
this material. It can be observed in Figure 2 that the
ultimate tensile strength is about 125ksi and the
yield strength is about 100ksi. In view of this, it is
expected that the impact toughness will be
substantially higher than either the H1025 or H1150
conditions. After testing, it was measured that the
impact energy was about 97 ft-lbf, which is almost
double the H1025 condition and almost quadruple
the H900 condition.
Based on Figure 3, it can be observed that
not a lot of ultimate tensile strength and yield
Fig. 4: Physical appearance of shear lips due to strength was given up. This resulted in a slight
fracture [3]. decrease in toughness as the heat treatment
temperature was increased, although this does not
On the sample material after impact, it was necessarily equate to a good or bad condition
also observed that the fracture surfaces of the pieces because it all depends on what the engineer needs in
that are broken open are relatively flat and there are relation to design requirements or constraints. This
‘ears’ along the edges of the sample. These are highlights the importance of understanding what is
called shear lips, similar to what is presented in required in the design.
Figure 4 above, which indicates that the material

www.ijera.com DOI: 10.9790/9622-1110045963 62 | P a g e

Mohammad Jassim Hussain. International Journal of Engineering Research and Applications
www.ijera.com
ISSN: 2248-9622, Vol. 11, Issue 10, (Series-IV) October 2021, pp. 59-63

During testing, it was observed that the 2.2.4. Plotting

sound produced when the test material broke was After all the Charpy impact energy values have been
much deeper than either the H1025 or H900 measured, the final step is to plot the impact energy
conditions. Looking at the fracture surfaces of the versus the strength of the materials. Whether
sample, the shear lips are also much larger than looking at the ultimate tensile strength or the yield
either of the two previous samples. This indicates strength, it can be observed in Figure 5 below that as
that there was more deformation and more energy one goes along the X-axis and increase in strength,
absorption in the H1150 condition sample testing. the toughness drops off quite significantly.

Plot for 17-4PH after Testing

Fig. 5: Correlation between increase in strength and decrease in toughness.

This paper has discussed how a particular sufficient size to cause a part to break, so there must
sample material reacts to the Charpy Impact Test be sufficient strength with maximized toughness to
unit but regardless of the material at hand, whether make sure that the crack does not hit a critical flaw
it is 17-4PH, a typical carbon steel that is quenched size that will lead to a failure.
or tempered, or arsenic steel that has been cold-
worked to increase strength, it is important to REFERENCES
understand the behavior of the material and how [1]. Francois, D., and Pineau, A., 2002, From
different processing and treatments affect the Charpy to Present Impact Testing, Elsevier,
material properties. In the case of aircraft, for Oxford, Chap. 1.
example, it should be noted that aircraft are [2]. Ziyi, D., and Konyukhov, A., 2018,
notorious for experiencing fatigue cracks. This “Modeling of Cutting with Arbitrary
means that engineers must ensure they are using the Kinematics: Special Study of Contact
right type of material for the design it is intended. In Algorithms,” Karlsruhe Institute of
this aspect, the Charpy Impact Test can help identify Technology, doi:
the correct material and should therefore be used 10:13140/RG.2.2.31723.59682
prior to the adoption of the said material, especially [3]. Xue, L., and Wierzbicki, T., 2008, “Ductile
in structural designs where a critical failure would Fracture Initiation and Propagation Modeling
result not only in the loss of property but, most Using Damage Plasticity Theory,”
importantly, in the loss of lives. Engineering Fracture Mechanics, 75(1), pp.
3276-3293.
III. CONCLUSION
In the discussions presented above, it was
observed that as the strength increased, toughness
was slightly reduced. This can be helpful when
making structures that are sensitive to cracks. The
engineer must ensure that a crack does not hit a

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