Evaluation method of dynamic fracture toughness by the computer-aided instrumented Charpy impact testing system

Abstract

The instrumented Charpy impact test has been widely used as a simple method semi-empirically evaluating the material impact toughness. The authors have developed a new dynamic fracture tougness evaluation system using a instrumented Charpy impact testing machine aided with a personal computer, which has been called the ‘CAI (Computer-Aided instrumented Charpy Impact testing)’ system. Using the CAI system, dynamic fracture toughness such as K d , J d , T mat and various energies can be obtained from the load-deflection curve of a single pre-cracked specimen. In this paper, in addition to the detail of the CAI system, the elastic deformation behaviour of the Charpy testing machine and its correspondence in the CAI system are described.