Influence of side-groove root radius on the ductile fracture toughness of miniature C(T) specimens

Enrico Lucon, Marc Scibetta

    Research outputpeer-review

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    Abstract

    The use of miniature C(T) specimens, MC(T), for fracture toughness measurements in the upper shelf regime has been investigated at SCK•CEN since 2004, in the framework of the Electrabel/Tractebel SCK•CEN Convention (now General Framework Agreement SUEZ-SCK•CEN). This geometry has been used and validated on both unirradiated (2004-05) and irradiated (2006) materials, mainly reactor pressure vessel (RPV) steels. While side-grooved MC(T) specimens have shown in all conditions a systematically lower tearing resistance and ductile crack initiation toughness as compared to standard-size 1TC(T) samples, the only plain-sided MC(T) specimen tested in 2005 exhibited very high ductile fracture toughness, thus pointing at a strong influence of side-grooving on the upper shelf properties of MC(T) specimens. This study investigates the influence of side-grooving on the initiation toughness and tearing resistance of MC(T) specimens, as a function of the root radius of the side-groove (ranging from 0.1 to 1 mm) and in comparison with plain-sided MC(T) and reference 1TC(T) samples. The material used is the well characterized DIN 22NiMoCr37 RPV steel, which had been used in the European project which generated the famous EURO fracture toughness data set.
    Original languageEnglish
    PublisherSCK CEN
    Number of pages16
    Volume1
    Edition0
    StatePublished - May 2009

    Publication series

    NameSCK•CEN Reports
    PublisherStudiecentrum voor Kernenergie
    No.BLG-1064

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