Journal Published Online: 25 January 2006
Volume 34, Issue 4

A Two-Parameter Method for Determining the Fracture Toughness of Materials from Subsized Specimens

CODEN: JTEVAB

Abstract

The fracture toughness of brittle materials can be determined easily using the Linear Elastic Fracture Mechanics (LEFM) approach, and the only demand for change is the desire to decrease specimen size requirements. Specimen size effect on the normally measured KQ and PMAX/PQ values was revisited in order to establish the suitability of a relationship between these parameters. A linear dependence was confirmed from experimental data of materials as different as isotactic polypropylene, AISI 4140 steel, a titanium alloy, and an aluminum alloy. The load ratio was interpreted as a second parameter, and thorough this dependence, KQ values measured on subsized specimens were extrapolated to linearity conditions PMAX/PQ = 1, determining a value identified as K1.0. When some simple conditions were met, this K1.0 value matched the toughness of evaluated materials. For the analyzed materials, this toughness parameter could be obtained from subsized specimens with important size reduction compared with that needed for KIC valid value determination. Moreover it permitted a simple characterization of material as difficult to characterize as isotactic polypropylene, which initially motivated this study.

Author Information

Santarelli, EL
Universidad Nacional del Comahue, Neuquén, Argentina
Pages: 10
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Stock #: JTE13151
ISSN: 0090-3973
DOI: 10.1520/JTE13151