CHARPY TEST

1.
2.
3.
4.

INTRODUCTION
CHARPY V TEST
OTHER TESTS
STANDARDS

1. INTRODUCTION
The Charpy test is the test to determine the resistance of a material against shocks.
The test temperature is very important because the resistance does decrease with
decreasing temperature.
The temperature at which the resistance suddenly drops to a lower value, the shifting
from ductile to brittle fracture, is called the transition temperature.
For the designer, it is important to know where the transition temperature is located.
As a matter of fact, operating below this temperature will increase very much the risk
for fracture.

2. CHARPY TEST
The test consists of breaking by one blow from
a swinging pendulum, under conditions defined
by standards, a test piece notched in the
middle and supported at each end. The energy
absorbed is determined in joules. This
absorbed energy is a measure of the impact
strength of a material.
The test bar, notched in the center, is located
on two supports. The hammer will fracture the
test bar and the absorpted energy (in Joule) is
an indication for the resistance of the material
to shock loads.
There are 2 types of Charpy tests:

U-notch, called Charpy U

V-notch, called Charpy V.

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GIETECH BV

The speed of the hammer at impact is 5 to 5,5 m / s.

For test equipment, built before 1983, this can be 4,5 to 7,0 m / s.

Energy of the hammer must be 300 J +/- 10 J.

The dimensions are given in the following
figure:
1 :

length of test bar

7 :

anvil gap

8 :

radius of anvil

9 :

anvil draft

10:

draft angle hammer

11:

radius of hammer 2 + 0,5 / 0,0 mm

12:

thickness of hammer

40 +0,2 / 0,0 mm
1 + 0,5 / 0,0 mm

11 +/- 1
3 0 +/- 1

18 mm

Angle between anvil and test bar support

must be 90 +/- 0,1

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GIETECH BV

The dimensions of the test bar (according to EN 10045) are indicated in the table
below.

No
1
2
3

4
5
6

Item

Charpy U

Length
Heigth
Width: normal
Width: small
Width: smaller
Rest thickness
Notch angle
Notch radius
Center notch to anvil
Angle notch to bar
Angle bar planes

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55 mm
10 mm
10 mm

+/- 0,60
+/- 0,11
+/- 0,11

5 mm

+/- 0,09

1 mm
27,5 mm
90
90

+/- 0,07
+/- 0,42
+/- 2
+/- 2

GIETECH BV

Charpy V
55 mm
10 mm
10 mm
7,5 mm
5,0 mm
8 mm
45
0,25 mm
27,5 mm
90
90

+/- 0,60
+/- 0,06
+/- 0,11
+/- 0,11
+/- 0,06
+/- 0,06
+/- 2
+/- 0,025
+/- 0,42
+/- 2
+/- 2

The test is performed, if not indicated, at 23 C +/- 5 C.

If the temperature is indicated, the tolerance is +/- 2 C.
If the temperature is different from room temperature (23 C), the test bar must be
homogenously (all over the material section) at the indicated temperature.
This is done by:
at least 10 min in a liquid environment
at least 30 min in a gaseous environment.
The test must be performed within 5 s (seconds) after the test bar has been removed
from the (cooling or heating) environment.
If the test bar is not fractured, this must be indicated in the report: no fracture.
The test report must contain:

standard
type of test bar (form and dimensions)
test bar identification
test bar location (especially for forgings: longitudinal, quer)
nominal capacity of test equipment
test bar temperature
result in J, indicating KV (Charpy V) or KU (Charpy U).

Designation of result:
KV = 121 J

Energy capacity equipment 300 J, Charpy V, 121 J test result

KU 150 = 65 J
KU 100 = 65 J

Energy capacity equipment 150 J (alternative 100 J),

Charpy U, 65 J test result

KV 100/7,5 = 83 J Energy capacity equipment 100 J, test bar width 7,5 mm

KV 100/5 = 83 J
(alternative 5 mm), test result 83 J

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GIETECH BV

3. OTHER TESTS

The dimensions and tolerances are (indicative) indicated on next page.

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GIETECH BV

DIMENSION OF SHOCK TESTS

Name

ISO-V test
ISO-U test
DVM test
DVMF test
DVMK test
Special
Mesnager
IZOD

Design.

ISO-V
ISO-U
DVM
DVMF
DVMK
KLST

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Length

Width

Heigth

Notch

Section

mm

mm

mm

mm

55
55
55
55
44
27
55
> 75

10
10
10
8
6
3
10
10

10
10
10
10
6
4
10
10

2
5
3
2
2
1
2
2

GIET ECH BV

mm2

Notch
radius
mm

Notch
angle

Opening
anvil
mm

80
50
70
48
24
9
80
80

0,25
1
1
4
0,75
0,1
2
0,25

45

40
40
40
40
30
22
40

60
45

4. STANDARDS
EN 10045 Metallic materials; Charpy impact test; Part 1 Test method
EN 10045 Metallic materials; Charpy impact test; Part 2 Test equipment
EU 7-55
DIN 50115 /02.75 Test
DIN 51306-1983 Test equipment
ISO 83-1976 for Charpy U
ISO 148 for Charpy V
ISO 442-1965 Test equipment
NF A 03-508-1985 Test equipment
BS 131- part 4-1972 Test equipment
JIS Z 2242 Test method
JIS Z 2202 Impact test

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GIETECH BV