ABSTRACT:

The impact test is an effective way to evaluate the toughness, impact strength and notch
sensitivity of various engineering materials. We use this test to evaluate the ability of a material
to withstand impact to know about it’s behavior under circumstances. It’s a test where we can
know how a specimen of a known material will respond to a suddenly applied face.

INTRODUCTION:
The impact test is a method for evaluating the toughness and notch sensitivity of engineering
materials. It is usually used to test the toughness of metals, but similar tests are used for
polymers, ceramics and composites. Impact test are used in studying the toughness of material. A
material’s toughness is a factor of it’s ability to absorb energy during plastic deformation. Brittle
materials have low toughness as a result of the small amount of plastic deformation that they can
endure. The impact value of material can also change with temperature. Generally, at lower
temperatures, the impact energy of a material is decreased. The size of the specimen may also
affect the value of the Izod impact test because it may allow a different number of imperfections
in the material, which can act as stress risers and lower the impact energy.
CHARPY IMPACT TEST:
Charpy impact test are technological dynamic tests where the impact notch toughness KCV
describes the total energy necessary for the initiation of the crack from the notch, propagation
and potential arrest of such a crack, while static fracture toughness KJC represents only the
energy necessary for initiation of a fracture from an already existing crack. Charpy impact
testing is a high strain-rate test that involves striking a standard notched specimen with a
controlled weight pendulum swung from a set of height. Charpy impact test helps measure the
amount of energy absorbed by the specimen during fracture. The standard Charpy-V notch
specimen is 55mm long, 10 mm square and has a 2 mm deep notch with a tip radius of 0.25mm
machined on one face.

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Required Apparatus:
1. Impact testing machine
2. Mild steel
3. Slide calipers
Experimental Method:
1. The experimental was to the Charpy Impact Resistance of Notched Specimen of 2different
materials, which are mild steel and cast iron.

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2. The test piece was placed between the supports with the break indentation facing the direction
of the pendulum swing.
3. Make sure that the indent is exactly in the middle of the supports.
4. Different joules of the striking hammer were used for different materials.
5. The pendulum was raised to the start point at the original position.
6. Then the release the pendulum to check the fractional error and again it was be raised to start
point at the original point to test with specimen.
7. Pressing the green button to release the pendulum.
8. The specimen was be broken by the swinging pendulum.
9. The pendulum was stopped using the friction belt the specimen was struck.
10. During the experiment make sure that the pendulum is at standstill before removing the test
specimen.
11. The energy consumed breaking the test specimen then collected and the fracture surface
examined.
12. The test specimen can be read directly from the scale, as identified in the pointer.
13. The maximum angle swing after impact was recorded. The results and observations were
recorded and tabulated.

EXPERIMENTAL DATA AND CALCULATION:

Table: data for measuring impact strength for mild steel and cast iron.
Sample Temperature C Impact Energy Area, m2 Impact
Strength,
J/m2
Mild steel 1 120 24.1 7.3*10-5 330.136*103
Mild steel 2 RT(35) 24.3 7.3*10-5 332.877*103
Mild steel 3 -18 24.2 7.3*10-5 331.51*103
Cast Iron 1 120 2 7.3*10-5 27.3*103
Cast Iron 2 RT(35) 2.1 7.3*10-5 28.76*1O3
Cast Iron 3 -18 2.1 7.3*10-5 27.16*103
For mild steel,
Width= {0.9+ (7*1/20)/10}cm=o.935cm
Length= {5.9+ (6*1/20)/10}cm=5.93cm
Height= {1.1+ (1*1/20)/10}cm=1.1cm
Area=0.935cm*5.93cm=5.54cm2

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Fracture surface area, f=(1.15*0.635)cm2=0.73cm2
Fraction loss=o.4j
Impact Energy, E = (2.4-0.4) j=2j
Impact strength, Ak =330.136*103 j/m

DESCRIPTION
1.What are the uses of impact test?
Answer: The ultimate aim of impact testing is to measure an object's ability to resist
high-rate loading. It is usually thought of two objects striking each other at high relative
speeds. A part, or material's ability to resist impact often is mainly determining factor in
the service life of a part, or in the suitability of a designated material for a particular
application. Impact resistance can be a difficult properties to quantify. The ability
to quantify this property is a great advantage in product liability and safety.

Impact Testing most commonly consists of Charpy and IZOD Specimen configurations.

The Charpy Impact Tests are guided on instrumented machines capable of measuring less
than 1 foot-pound. to 300 foot-pounds. at temperatures ranging from -320°F to over
2000°F. Impact test specimen types include notch configurations such as V-Notch, U-
Notch, Key-Hole Notch, as well as Un-notched and ISO (DIN) V-Notch, with
capabilities of impact testing subsize specimens down to ¼ size. IZOD impact Testing
can be done up to 240 foot-pounds. on standard single notch and type-X3 specimens.

2.what is the differences between Charpy and Izod impact test? Which one is preferred in

which case?

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Answer: There are two types of testing methods which are used for evaluating the impact

resistance of any material. One is ‘IZOD impact resistance test’ and another one is ‘Charpy

impact resistance test’. Both of them are based on the same theory but still are different in the

way the tests are conveyed.

The major differences between both the testing techniques to keep in mind while selecting a test
are as follows:
 Specimen Position: The position of the specimen is different in both the testing methods.
In the IZOD method, the test material is to be placed in a vertical position, while in the
Charpy method, the test material will be placed horizontally.
 Striking Point: The point at which the hammer will strike the specimen is distinct for
both of them. In vertical testing, the hammer will strike on the upper tip of the sample
while in horizontal testing the hammer will strike at the point of notch but at the opposite
direction.
 Notch Direction: The notch direction at which the sample will face is different in both
the technique. The notch face in the IZOD test is facing the striker, fastened in a
pendulum, while in the Charpy test, the notch face is situated away from the striker.
 Specimen Dimensions: The test sample must have distinct dimensions for each test. The
IZOD test specimen is 75 x 10 x 10mm and the basic Charpy test specimen is 55 x 10 x
10mm (the dimension can vary).The basic difference between two Izod and Charpy is
given below:
Procedure Izod Charpy
Common standard ASTM D256 or ISO 180 for ASTM A370, ISO 148 or EN
notched specimens ASTM 10045-1
D4812 ISO 180 unnotched
specimens
Test sample Placed in vertical position Placed in horizontal position
Test hammer striking At the upper tip of specimen At point of notch but in
opposite direction
Notch face Facing the striker, fastened in Face is positioned away from
a pendulum the striker
Notch type V-notch V and U notches
Specimen dimensions 75*10*10mm 55*10*10mm
Hammer type Farming hammer as striker Ball Pin hammer as strike
Both Charpy and Izod impact testing are popular methods of determining impact strength, or
toughness, of a material. In other words, these tests measure the total amount of energy that a
material is able to absorb. This energy absorption is directly related to the brittleness of the

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material. Brittle materials, such as ceramics or glass, tend to have lower absorption rates than
ductile materials like copper or aluminum.
Understanding a material’s energy absorption properties is critical, as it predicts how much
plastic deformation the material will be able to withstand before catastrophic failure. It is also
important to understand the similarities and differences between these two common impact test
methods.
Charpy Impact Testing
The Charpy impact test was developed by S.B. Russell and Georges Charpy at the turn of the
20th century. It remains to this day one of the most popular impact testing methods due to the
relative ease of creating samples and obtaining results. The test apparatus consists of a weighted
pendulum, which is dropped from a specified height to make contact with the specimen. The
energy transferred to the material can be inferred by comparing the difference in the height of the
pendulum before and after the fracture.
A Charpy test specimen, which is placed horizontally into the machine, is typically a 55 x 10 x
10mm (2.165" x 0.394" x 0.394") bar with a notch machined into one of the faces. This notch,
which can be either V-shaped or U-shaped, is placed facing away from the pendulum and helps
to concentrate the stress and encourage fracture. Testing can be performed at both ambient and
reduced temperatures, sometimes as low as -425F.
Charpy impact testing is most commonly performed to ASTM E23, ASTM A370, ISO 148, or
EN 10045-1. While the test is most commonly performed on metals, there are also a number of
standards that exist for plastics and polymers, including ASTM D6110 and ISO 179.
Izod Impact Testing
The Izod impact test was named for English engineer Edwin Gilbert Izod, who first described the
test method in 1903. The test apparatus and specimen design are very similar to Charpy impact,
with some notable differences, including the orientation of the specimen, which is clamped into
the apparatus vertically with the notch facing toward the pendulum. The pendulum then impacts
the sample at a specified area above the notch.
One of the main differences from Charpy impact is that Izod impact testing can be performed on
either plastic or metallic specimens. Plastic samples are typically a 64 x 12.7 x 3.2 mm bar with a
machined V-shaped notch. Metallic samples are typically round 127 x 11.43 mm bar with 1 or 3
machined V-shaped notch(es).
Common Izod impact test methods include ASTM D256, ASTM E23, and ISO 180.
The preferred test in this case:
While both the Izod and Charpy methods measure similar properties, the specimen design and
testing configuration are different enough that care should be taken when choosing with method
to perform.The testing provider should be able to provide method recommendations based on
end goals and specific material in question.
 There are varying configurations of round specimens versus square specimens and single
notched specimens versus those with up to three notches. Since it is often required to average 3
results for impact testing, the 3 notch specimen could be more economical, as it will take less
material to get three impact results. Another possible advantage of the 3 notch sample is that the
final result can be an average of directions depending on the specimen configuration. This could
help eliminate bias caused by directional properties if this is a concern for your material. 
3. What are the factors that affect the notched bar impact test?

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Answer: The important factors that affect the toughness of a material include low temperatures,
high strain rates (by impact or pressurization), and stress concentrators such as notches, cracks,
and voids.
Factors that affect the Charpy impact energy of a specimen will include:
 Yield strength and ductility
 Notches
 Temperature and strain rate
 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 behaviour and hence ductility of the material
such as temperature and strain rate will affect the impact energy. This type of behaviour is more
prominent in materials with a body centred cubic structure, where lowering the temperature
reduces ductility more markedly than face centred 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 {001} 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.
5.Draw the schematic picture of the fracture surface of the sample.

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Answer: The schematic picture of the fracture surface of the sample is given below:

 
SEM images of a fractured freeze dried STF25 sample, schematic image shows the positions
where specimens were extracted and respective images were obtained, a) fracture surface cross-
section, b) as cast surface, c) fracture surface cross-section lower side and d) as cast surface
lower side. 

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6. What is DBTT (Ductile Brittle Transition Temperature )?Explain with the help of
‘Impact Energy versus Temperature Curve”. Does any of the observed sample show
Ductile to Brittle Transition?
Answer: The ductile brittle transition temperature is the minimum temperature in which a given
material has the ability to absorb a specific amount of energy without fracturing. As temperatures
decrease, a material’s ability to deform in a ductile matter decreases. This is usually measured
using on a case-by-case basis using a Charpy impact test. This is particularly important in
Canada as temperatures often fall below -20 degrees and into a zone where common structural
steels start to behave in a brittle matter. The danger from this is that brittle failure comes quickly
and without much warning.  Extra safety precautions should be taken when working in crane or
oilfield applications.

7. What kind of crystal structure generally DBTT shows?

Answer: It is rare in FCC materials because of the many slip systems with low activation
energies for dislocation motion, but common in BCC materials regardless of the presence of
solute atoms. The transition occurs because the fracture toughness is relatively independent of
temperature.
8. What is the effect of increasing carbon content of supplied sample on the notch of the
steel?

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Answer: Effects of Carbon on Toughness. It can be seen that for the high carbon steel there is an
increase in fracture energy in proportion to increase of temperature. However, the impact
energies are relatively low and characteristic of brittle failure. Theoretically, there is an increase
of plastic deformation during failure which should cause increased fracture energies at higher
temperature.
In contrast, the lower carbon steel appears to demonstrate an increase in fracture energy with
temperature. These energies are evidently higher than for the corresponding high carbon steel
values. At room temperature (recorded as 20C) the low carbon steel is therefore
much tougher than the high carbon steel, as would be expected. Carbon and manganese have the
largest affects on the transition (of ductile to brittle) temperature. An increase in carbon increases
the transition temperature, shifting the relevant part of the curve to the right side of the graph. As
a result of this, the brittle range for the steel increases whilst ductility range is decreased. The
implication of this is that it affects the maximum impact energy the steel is able to withstand,
thus the toughness.
9.what is the effect of decreasing grain size of the supplied sample on the notch toughness
and transition temperature of steel?
Answer: Decreasing grain size contribute to increase toughness. In fact decreasing the grain size
is the strength lead to a decrease in toughness. Decreasing grain size has an advantage of both
increasing the strength and improving the Impact toughness. Increase in strength is evident from
Hall only mechanism by which both the strength and the toughness of a steel is increased. Other
mechanisms of increasing Patch Equation but what is reason for lowering of the transition
temperature.
10.Explain the effect of manganese on DBTT of steel?
Answer: Manganese increases hardenability and tensile strength of steel, but to a lesser extent
than carbon. It is also able to decrease the critical cooling rate during hardening, thus increasing
the steels hardenability much more efficient than any other alloying elements.  Manganese also
tends to increase the rate of carbon penetration during carburizing and acts as a mild deoxidizing
agent. However when too high carbon and too high manganese accompany each other,
embrittlement sets in. Manganese is capable to form Manganese Sulphide (MnS) with sulphur,
which is beneficial to machining. At the same time, it counters the brittleness from sulphur and is
beneficial to the surface finish of carbon steel.  Mn is present in most commercially made steels.
Mn plays a key role in steel because of its two important properties namely (i) its ability to
combine with sulphur (S), and (ii) its powerful deoxidation capacity. Mn is undoubtedly the most
prevalent alloying agent in steels, after carbon (C). Mn is intentionally present in many grades of
steel and is a residual constituent of virtually all others.Mn has played a key role in the
development of various steel making processes and its continuing importance is indicated by the

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fact that about 85 % to 90 % of all Mn consumed in the world annually goes into iron and steel
making as well as in steel as an alloying element. No satisfactory substitute for Mn in steel has
been identified which combines its relatively low price with outstanding technical benefits.

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