Mapua Institute of Technology

School of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering

ME136P/OL52
Materials Testing and Processes

Experiment # 3
Charpy Impact Test

Eriane Miguel M. Garcia Oct 08, 2020

Oct 18, 2020

Engr. Jonathan S. Dondon

Professor
Objective
 To find the impact resistance of mild steel specimen and cast iron.
Discussion
Charpy impact test, or most commonly known as the Charpy- notch test is
a high strain-rate check that involves placing a typical notched specimen with a
controlled weight apparatus swung from a collection height. The impact check
helps define the quantity of energy absorbed by the specimen throughout fracture.
Charpy tests show whether or not a metal will be classified as being either
brittle or ductile. This is often notably helpful for ferritic steels that show a ductile
to brittle transition with decreasing temperature. A brittle metal can absorb little
quantity of energy once impact tested, a troublesome ductile metal absorbs an
outsized quantity of energy. The looks of a fracture surface additionally offers data
regarding the kind of fracture that has occurred; a brittle fracture is bright and
crystalline, a ductile fracture is boring and fibrous. The proportion crystallinity is
decided by creating a judgment of the number of crystalline or brittle fracture on
the surface of the broken specimen, and may be a live of the number of brittle
fracture.
Lateral growth may be quantify in terms of the plasticity of the specimen.
Once a ductile metal is broken, the test-piece deforms before breaking, and
material is squeezed out on the edges of the compression face. The amount by
which the specimen deforms is measured and expressed as millimeters of lateral
growth.
When presenting the results of a Charpy test, the absorbed energy (in J) is
usually reportable, whereas the proportion crystallinity and lateral growth are
optional on the test report. It ought to be stressed that Charpy tests are qualitative,
the results will solely be compared with one another or with a demand during a
specification - they cannot be calculate the fracture toughness of a weld or parent
metal.
 Fig.1. Standard Charpy-V notch specimen
(TWI is UKAS accredited for carrying out Charpy testing to ASTM E23 and ISO
148, at a wide range of test temperatures.)

Figure 2 Charpy test Diagram

The Charpy test is very straightforward to conduct. Charpy data isn't as
wide accessible as Izod data, however, it is very easy to get. The loading is in pure
shear. The information is helpful for material comparison, and for evaluating the
notch sensitivity. As shown in Figure 2, it impacts and fractures the specimen as
the pendulum swings, from which the amount of energy needed for the fracture can
be determined.
 Figure 2.1 Charpy test Diagram
The total energy of fracture is given by:

Eq. 1
Where:
μtotal=the total energy

m=is the mass of the pendulum

g=isthe gravitational mass of acceleration
h0 =isthe initial height of the pendulum

h f =the final height of the pendulum

Figure 2.2 Total energy Diagram

Impact Testing
The Charpy test is high-strain-rate tests that measure the energy absorbed
by a fabric through a high-speed impact. The test individually rely on apparatus
being set from a selected height, impacting and fracturing a notched or cracked
specimen. The results from these tests are extremely dependent on to the specimen
size, notch geometry, the number and rate of loading, and the process used to
support the specimen. Hence, they do not deliver intrinsic material behavior
properties, however the results is used for relative comparisons if all test conditions
are detained constant.
Procedures:

1. When you click on Charpy test file a window will open as shown below.

2. Click on the NEXT button to move to the next step.

3. Click on the hand lever to check for friction loss. Then click on NEXT
button to move to next step.

4. Specifications of testing machine and standard specimen as per standard

code will appear on a window. Click on the next button.
5. Click on material of the specimen to select the material to be tested.

6. Now the specimen is placed in the testing machine, click where the arrow is
pointing and drag the specimen.
7. Click on the hand lever to obtain the total loss of energy during the transmit
is obtained.

8. The final result will be obtained as follows

9. The experiment is carried out for two more trials and the final results are
obtained.
Engineering Materials and Testings
Laboratory

Experiment No.: 3

CHARPY IMPACT TEST

Preliminary Data Sheet
Name: Garcia, Eriane Miguel M. Date: October 18, 2020
Section: OL52 Group No.: -
Trial Material Loss of energy Total loss of Energy for
due to friction energy during failure
Ef transit of of specimen =
(J) Hammer Et (J) Et-Ef
(J)
1 Mild steel 1 43 42
2 Mild steel 1 48 47
3 Mild steel 1 47.5 46.5
Assisted By: Approved By:

__________________________ Engr. Jonathan Dondon

ME-UTM ENGINEER INSTRUCTOR

Sample Computation:
Energy for failure of specimen (J)

Trial 1=Et −Ef =43 J −1 J =42 J

Trial 2= Et−Ef =48 J −1 J =47 J
Trial 3=Et−Ef =47.5 J −1 J =46.5 J
Average of Energy for failure of specimen (J)

¿
∑ Energy for failure = 42+ 47+46.5 =45.17 J
No. of trails 3
Questions:
1. Why a notch is made on charpy or izod test specimen?

- Impact energy is a measure of the work done to fracture a test specimen.

Once the striker impacts the specimen, the specimen absorbs energy till it
yields. The test specimen continues to soak up energy and work hardens
at the plastic zone at the notch. Once the specimen absorbs no more
energy, fracture happens. The specimen is smitten by a “tup” connected
to a swinging apparatus of specific style and weight. The specimen
breaks at its notched cross-sectional upon impact, and also the upward
swing of the apparatus is employed to see the number of energy absorbed
(notch toughness) within the method.
2. Give the standard size of charpy impact test specimen?
- In accordance to what the lab manual state’s. The standard size for a
charpy impact test specimen is a machined test piece that has a square
cross-section of 10 mm x 10 mm sides, 55 mm long and in the center of
the specimen’s length, one face of the specimen shall have a U-notch of
specified depth of 5mm and 1 mm root radius.

- While in other research, According to ASTM A370, the standard

specimen size for Charpy impact testing is 10 mm × 10 mm × 55 mm.
Subsize specimen sizes are: 10 mm × 7.5 mm × 55 mm, 10 mm × 6.7 mm
× 55 mm, 10 mm × 5 mm × 55 mm, 10 mm × 3.3 mm × 55 mm, 10 mm
× 2.5 mm × 55 mm. Details of specimens as per ASTM A370 (Standard
Test Method and Definitions for Mechanical Testing of Steel Products).
On the other hand, according to EN 10045-1 (retired and replaced with
ISO 148), standard specimen sizes are 10 mm × 10 mm × 55 mm.
Subsize specimens are: 10 mm × 7.5 mm × 55 mm and 10 mm × 5 mm ×
55 mm. While, according to ISO 148, standard specimen sizes are 10 mm
× 10 mm × 55 mm. Subsize specimens are: 10 mm × 7.5 mm × 55 mm,
10 mm × 5 mm × 55 mm and 10 mm × 2.5 mm × 55 mm.

3. What is the standard speed of pendulum at the instant of striking?

 - According to IS (Indian Standard) , the normal speed of pendulum at the
moment of striking shall be 4.5 – 7 m/s and also the plane of swing of the
striker shall be vertical and at an intervals 0.5 millimeter of the plane
midway between the supports.

4. What are the factors affecting charpy impact energy

a) Yield strength and ductility

b) Notches

c) Temperature and strain rate

d) Fracture mechanism

 Yield Strength and Ductility

For a given material the impact energy will be seen to decrease if the yield
strength is increased, i.e. if the material undergoes some process that makes
it more brittle and less able to undergo plastic deformation. Such processes
may include cold working or precipitation hardening.

 Notches

The notch serves as a stress concentration zone and some materials are more
sensitive towards notches than others. The notch depth and tip radius are
therefore very important.

 Temperature and Strain Rate

Most of the impact energy is absorbed by means of plastic deformation

during the yielding of the specimen. Therefore, factors that affect the yield
behavior and hence ductility of the material such as temperature and strain
rate will affect the impact energy.
 This type of behavior is more prominent in materials with a body centered
cubic structure, where lowering the temperature reduces ductility more
markedly than face centered cubic materials.

 Fracture Mechanism

Metals tend to fail by one of two mechanisms, microvoid coalescence or

cleavage. Cleavage can occur in body centred cubic materials, where
cleavage takes place along the crystal plane. Microvoid coalescence is the
more common fracture mechanism where voids form as strain increases, and
these voids eventually join together and failure occurs. Of the two fracture
mechanisms cleavage involved far less plastic deformation ad hence absorbs
far less fracture energy.

5. Explain how the specimen will be placed in charpy impact test?

- In my own understanding the first thing that should be done is to make
sure that the specimen has the right size for that given charpy test.
Second, the specimen should have a V-shaped or U-shaped notch, and
the notch faces away from the pendulum. Third, secure each end of the
specimen because it is clamped sideways. Lastly, the test pendulum’s
height should be established to measure the accuracy of data.
Subsequently, the test sample should be put across parallel jaws and
make sure that the jaws is fully stabilize. Each trial, the data should be
recorded and same process comes from the other remaining trials.
Discussion
This experiment was done in order for us to find the impact resistance of
mild steel specimen and cast iron.
Performing the Charpy test on the mild steel specimen on a simulator
helps the student reflect on the strength of the different material and in relation to
its capacity to withstand impact. On the simulation, we able to determine the loss
energy due to friction, total loss of energy transit of Hammer, Energy for failure of
specimen, and lastly the average energy for failure of specimen. The data gathering
on this online simulation is found to be easy and accurate compared to hands on
experimentation because the data were already given.
 The importance of Charpy test is to determine the amount of energy
which the material can absorbed through a massive impact. This test can determine
the capacity of the material to absorbed force which gives the consumer the right
material proposed for the design.
Conclusion
After the accomplishment of the experiment, it can be said that the whole
activity is a total success because through observation the objective that was set is
achieved even with the use of a simulator. Different information and learnings
were gathered such as to determine the impact resistance of both the cast iron and
mild steel specimens. In addition to that, the students also differentiate ductile and
brittle materials by observing the amount of energy absorbed by the specimen.
More of which, the most important is we able to reflect our learning into the real
world and soon can be applied to our chosen field.
Recommendation
In recommendation, if this experiment was done physically or on hand.
First thing the researcher must do is to check the dimensions or the measurement
of the specimen if it achieve the proper standard stated on the laboratory manual.
Second is properly aligned the hammer to have an accurate resulting data after
collision. And lastly, ensure safety when inside the laboratory.
Based on my experience, my recommendation is, to have this experiment
on hand. I’m not saying that simulation is a bad medium for this experiment but,
on hand activities may state different experience that we may not encounter with
the present type of medium when it comes to laboratory experiments.
References
https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/engineering/charpy-test
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charpy_impact_test
http://sm-nitk.vlabs.ac.in/exp6/index.html#
https://www.testing-instruments.com/blog/charpy-impact-test-and-its-applications/