Recent progress in small specimen test technology

Abstract

Small specimen test technology (SSTT) has enabled the development of fusion materials by efficiently using available irradiation volumes. The technology has also evolved in anticipation of the construction and operation of a high-energy neutron source for development and verification of an engineering database for materials for fusion power reactors. Work to date has brought SSTT to a robust state of maturity. SSTT specimens and techniques now routinely serve as the foundation for a number of ongoing and planned experimental programs. Moreover, the need to use small specimens has given rise to the development of new approaches to fracture assessment, such as the master curves-shifts method. Nonetheless a wealth of opportunities exists to further develop new and very innovative SSTT methods not only for characterizing standard mechanical properties but also to enable both large matrix single variable experiments and highly controlled basic mechanism studies. This paper reviews briefly the recent progress on developing a more science-based SSTT, including some future opportunities. The importance and utility of applying a variety of quasi-non-destructive evaluations to a single specimen and closely integrating finite element simulations and fundamental models of deformation and fracture are emphasized.