Experiment 1(a)

IMPACT TEST ON METAL SPECIMEN

Batch B2:
08D10003, 08D10004, 08D10005, 08D10006, 08D10007, 08D10008

AIM
 To study the impact resistance of metals using Impact testing machine
(Charpy type)

APPARATUS
 Impact testing machine
 Scale
 Standard charpy specimens(mild steel and aluminium)
 Furnace and T-type thermocouple
 Liquid nitrogen.

THEORY

Some materials like cast iron, glass and some plastics which offer considerable
resistance to static load, often shatter easily when a sudden load (impact) is
applied. The impact strength is defined as the resistance of the materials to
shock. The impact testing is to find out the energy absorbed by a specimen
when brought to fracture by hammer blow and gives a quality of the material,
particularly its brittleness. Highly brittle materials have low impact strength.
Heat treatment of metals has found to lower impact considerably. The area
under the stress strain curve in a static tensile test is measure of the energy
absorbed per unit volume of the material, called the modules of toughness.
This is also a measure of the impact strength of the material. The impact load
can be applied in many ways. Allowing a standard mass to fall on the specimen
from progressively increasing heights until fracture occurs tests rails and
framed structural members. For laboratory Charpy and Izod impact tests are
used. These notched specimens are fractured with a standard blow from a
pendulum hammer and energy absorbed is measured.
PROCEDURE

 With no specimen on the anvil raise the pendulum to an initial reading

R1 in the dial and release it.
 Find the loss due to friction without any specimen on the anvil for about
11 half cycles. Note the reading.
 Now place the specimen accurately in position on the anvil.
 Raise the pendulum to the same initial height and release. The
pendulum swings to the other side rupturing the specimen. Note the
reading on the screen of the machine for aluminium at room
temperature.
 Now repeat for mild steel at room temperature.
 For impact energy of a specimen at higher/lower temperatures we use a
thermocouple which gives the voltage developed due to temperature
and using the calibration graph we calculate the temperature of the
specimen.
 Note readings for different temperatures and tabulate them.

OBSERVATIONS

 Loss due to friction

Loss in 11 half cycles = 14.946J
Average loss (i.e. of one half cycle) = 1.358J

 Aluminium (at 27oC)

Width of side = 10.00 mm
Length of side considering notch = 8.2 mm
Area under impact = 10 x 8.2 = 82.00 mm2
Impact energy = 32.462 J
Impact Strength = Impact energy/area under impact = 0.39 MJ/m2

 Mild Steel
Width of side = 10 mm
Length of side considering notch=8.2 mm
Area under impact=10x8.2 = 82 mm2
Impact energy = 21.483 J
Impact Strength = Impact energy/area under impact = 0.26 MJ/m2
Voltage Temperature Impact energy (after Impact
(mV) (°C) subtracting frictional loss) strength(MJ/m2)

0 27 21.384J 0.26
-2.3 -68 3.1961 0.038
-2.8 -82 2.9161 0.0355
1.3 32 33.728 0.411
2.1 54 38.682 0.471
CONCLUSION
 Impact Energy of Mild Steel decreases with temperature. This indicates
material becomes more brittle as temperature decreases.
 Aluminium is more ductile and hence has higher impact energy than
mild steel at room temperature

PRECAUTIONS
 Keep away from the machine during the impact test.
 The test piece has to be carefully kept so that area of impact is
minimized.
 When the pendulum hammer is loaded at maximum position make sure
that it is latched.