Estimation of the Limit State Criterion for Steels C1020 and A 516-55 with V-Notch under Quasistatic Loading Using Acoustic Emission Control

Abstract

There is a need to determine the stresses value for responsible designs in the oil and gas refining, petrochemical and chemical industries, at which the defect reaches its maximum size. This stress value can be taken as the limit state criterion for strength calculations of vessels and apparatus. The article presents a technique for determining the limit state criterion for carbonaceous and low-alloy steels using the example of steels C1020 and A 516-55 in the state of delivery. As a limit state criterion it is proposed to use the stress value corresponding to the microcrack formation moment. The studies are based on the uniaxial tension tests results at room temperature of flat samples with V-shaped stress concentrators of 2 mm deep, accompanied by an acoustic emission nondestructive testing method. Based on the obtained pulse amplitude and pulse energy dependences on time in the process of testing and fractographic studies, a technique for estimating acoustic emission signals was developed to determine the microcrack formation moment for test steels. Stress values that can be taken as the limit state criterion for steels C1020 and A 516-55 in the delivery state for strength calculations vessels and apparatus are determined using the developed experimentally technique based on the high-amplitude acoustic emission to low-amplitude signals ratio. With the help of specimen fractures fractographic analysis the legitimacy of using the developed technique is justified. Thus, at room temperature for steel C1020, the stress at which a microcrack begins to form is 420 MPa, for steel A 516-55 it is 455 MPa.