NG-18-27-R01 Effect of Metallurgical Variables on the Maximum Charpy Impact Energy of Structural Steels

The Charpy test':' provides a quick, inexpensive, and well-established measure of the fracture resistance of steels. There exists a mass of data on the relations between Charpy energy and metallurgical variables, but it is scattered. Furthermore, a full impact-energy versus temperature curve contains more information than is usually extracted, and the full potential of the test is not generally realized. In recent years, more sophisticated approaches to impact testing have been developed and even more, complete characterizations are being provided. This review concentrates on one parameter - the maximum or "shelf" energy. It also concentrates on three questions:

1. How is the Charpy shelf energy related to the rate of energy absorption during fast-shear crack propagation in a large structure?

2. Are there statistically significant relations between Charpy shelf energy and unnotched tensile properties?

3. What is the influence of the size and nature of second-phase particles on Charpy shelf energy?