SEDL / STP / STP556-EB / STP33126S

Large-Scale Fracture Toughness Tests of Thick 5083-0 Plate and 5183 Welded Panels at Room Temperature, -260 and -320°F

Kaufman, JG
Manager, senior engineer, and engineer, Aluminum Company of America, Pa.

Nelson, FG
Manager, senior engineer, and engineer, Aluminum Company of America, Pa.

Wygonik, RH
Manager, senior engineer, and engineer, Aluminum Company of America, Pa.

Pages: 34    Published: Jan 1974

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Abstract

The exceptionally high toughness of thick 5083-0 plate and 5183 welded panels at room temperature, -260 and -320°F has been demonstrated by large-scale fracture toughness testing. No evidence of a fracture instability at elastic stresses was observed, even in K^Ic tests of 7.7-in.-thick notched bend specimens and in a K^c test of a 4-in.-thick and 44-in.-square edge-notched tension panel. Ductile tearing was observed in all cases with panels as thick as or thicker than those used in critical structures such as liquefied natural gas tanks. The toughness at -260 and -320°F was as high as or higher than at room temperature by all available indexes. While these conclusions indicate that the application of fracture mechanics to the design of 5083-0 tanks is not very appropriate and may be unduly conservative, some engineering estimates of K^Ic and K^c were made from the results of the fracture tests.