Mechanical Engineering

Mechanical behaviour of materials

Laboratory Part 1
MEASUREMENT OF FRACTURE TOUGHNESS OF
METALLIC MATERIALS : KIC
(ASTM E399-09)
L. Giudici

Aim of the Test

Determination of fracture toughness of a metallic material

(KIC or JIC) in mode I.

KIC
Linear elastic fracture mechanics. Non-linear
material deformation is confined to a small region
surrounding the crack tip. Plain strain.
(ASTM E399-09 Standard)
JIC
Elastic-plastic fracture mechanics. The
plastic zone is larger, although not on large scale.
(ASTM E1820-09 Standard)

Material: steel
L. Giudici FRACTURE TOUGHNESS: KIC / JIC

Provini

SE(B) Specimen

L. Giudici FRACTURE TOUGHNESS: KIC / JIC

Crack lenght a measurement

1- OPTICAL METHOD
by means of microscope or camera

2- CRACK GAGE
by means of electrical output (R or V)

3- COMPLIANCE
by means of extensometer (clip on gage)

L. Giudici FRACTURE TOUGHNESS: KIC / JIC

COMPLIANCE
Compliance method is used to define crack lenght a.

ci coefficients are different for each type of specimens (ASTM E399-09)

P
B
E
V

applied load [N]

thickness [mm]
Young modulus [MPa]
displacement [mm]

L. Giudici FRACTURE TOUGHNESS: KIC / JIC

K (Stress Intensity Factor)

For Compact Specimens:
K
where: P
applied load [N]
B
W
f(a/w)

P
a
W f
BW
w

[MPa m ]

thickness [mm]
width [mm]
geometry function

a
2 +
2
3
4

a
a
a
a
W
a

f =
c0 + c1 + c2 + c3 + c4
3

W
W
W
W

2
a

1
W

c coefficients are different for each type of specimen (ASTM E399-08)

L. Giudici FRACTURE TOUGHNESS: KIC / JIC

Precracking
Its difficult to obtain a machined notch that well simulate a natural crack in order
to provide a good test result. The Precracking is the usual way for this purpose.
A fatigue precrack grows from a machined notch applying an alternated load to
the specimen in force control (typically 20 Hz and R = Pmin/Pmax)

Pmax [N]
t [s]

P
ai

a0

NB: crack length is measured from the load line

L. Giudici FRACTURE TOUGHNESS: KIC / JIC

Pmin [N]

Precracking
The load P is calculated from the K value. K is usually decreasing while crack
length a increases.

K [MPa m0.5]

(Kiniz max precr ; ai )

(Kfin max precr ; a0 )

ai

a [mm]

Kiniz max precric = 1.4 Kfin max precric = 20 MPa m^0.5

L. Giudici FRACTURE TOUGHNESS: KIC / JIC

a0
W

ai = 23 mm a0 = 31 mm (W=51 mm)

Precracking
If the force cycle P is maintained constant, the maximum K and K will increase with
crack size according to f(a/w) value.
f(a/W) 12
11.5

11

10.5

P
a
K=
W f
BW
w

10

9.5

8.5

7.5

7
0.4

0.42

0.44

0.46

0.48

0.5

0.52

0.54

0.56

0.58

a/W

If K critical value is reached, the failure of specimen occurs.

If K < K threshold, the crack does not growth.

L. Giudici FRACTURE TOUGHNESS: KIC / JIC

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Precracking
In precracking K has to be chosen in order to verify some requirements of the
standard.
KIC (ASTM E399-09)

Kmax precr < 0.8 KQ

Kmax fin precr < 0.6 KQ
Kmax fin precr / E < 0.00032 m0.5
0.45 < a0/W < 0.55
a0 ai > 0.025 W
a0 ai > 1.3 mm

NOTE: KQ = KIC only if all the requirements are satisfied

L. Giudici FRACTURE TOUGHNESS: KIC / JIC

ai
a0
W

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KIC - Test
An increasing load (typically ramp) is applied on the specimen, such that:

dK
0.55
2.75
dt

[MPa m /s]

A curve Load Vs Displacement is recorded.

Displacement is usually measured by a Clip on Gage (COD).
Load vs. COD
8000

6000

4000

2000

0
0

0.125

0.25
COD (mm)

L. Giudici FRACTURE TOUGHNESS: KIC / JIC

0.375

0.5

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KIC Data analysis

Construct a secant line r5, with a slope = 0.95r, where r is the slope of the tangent to the
initial portion of the data record (red line). P5 load value is the interception between r5
and test data graph.
PQ load is defined as below:
- If P <P5 in all the points on the left of P5, then P5 = PQ (see Type I)
- If on the left of P5 there is P>P5, then P = PQ (see Type II and III)
L o a d vs . C O D
10000

7500

5000

2500

0
0

0 .1 2 5

0 .2 5
C O D (m m )

0 .3 7 5

0 .5

L. Giudici FRACTURE TOUGHNESS: KIC / JIC

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KIC Data analysis

To calculate KIC, at the end of the test the fracture surfaces have to be observed by
means of microscope in order to measure the crack lenght after failure (a) with
good precision.

a
KQ =
W f
BW
w
PQ

[MPa m ]

a is defined as the average value of three measurements a1 a2 e a3 made at ,

, and of the specimen thickness.
QUALIFICATION
The difference between each two of the three measurements must not differ more
than 10% from the mean value.
as1

0.85 a < as1, as2 < 1.15 a

0.025W
as1, as2 >
1.3 mm

a2
a1
a3
as2

L. Giudici FRACTURE TOUGHNESS: KIC / JIC

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KIC Specimen and test parameters

SPECIMEN

PRECRACKING
a0 = 13.9 mm
Kiniz max precr = 21 MPa m^0.5
Kfin max precr = 15 MPa m^0.5
R = 0.1
f = 20 Hz

E = 206000 MPa
Rs = 2000 MPa
Rm = 1800 MPa
= 0.3
W = 28 mm
B = 14 mm
ai = 12 mm
h = 2.5 mm

TEST
Speed test = 0.700 mm/min
Displacement control
ai
a0

L. Giudici FRACTURE TOUGHNESS: KIC / JIC

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KIC Qualification Requirements

KQ is KIC only if:
Pmax / PQ < 1.10

a,B > 2.5 (KQ / Rsn)2

In addition both precracking and test have to verify the following qualification
requirements (ASTM E399-09):
PRECRACKING

Kmax precr < 0.8 KQ

Kmax fin precr < 0.6 KQ
Kmax fin precr / E < 0.00032 m0.5
0.45 < a0/W < 0.55
a0 ai > 0.25 W
a0 ai > 1.3 mm
L. Giudici FRACTURE TOUGHNESS: KIC / JIC

TEST

0.55

dK
2.75
dt

|a1- a2|, |a3- a2|, |a1- a3| < 0.1 a

0.85 a < as1, as2 < 1.15 a

as1, as2 > 0.025W, 1.3 mm