Lab Experiment Report

❖ Aim – To conduct mode-I fracture test on various Al specimens having

different crack length and compare the results.
❖ Equipment - Zwick Roell Universal testing machine
❖ Specimen – Aluminium and stainless-steel specimens with different
initial cracks of 1.5mm, 2mm and 3mm respectively.
❖ Procedure –
1. Clamp the specimen to the UTM.
2. Set the strain rate and dimensions of the specimen in the UTM.
3. Make the required adjustment to release the pre applied clamping
forces and then start loading the specimen.
4. Record the data from the UTM and plot the various graphs as per
requirement.
❖ Graphs –
1. Load Vs Displacement
• Aluminium
 • Steel

2. Stress Vs Strain
• Aluminium
 • Steel

3. Stiffness vs Load
• Aluminium
 • Steel

4. Compliance vs Load
• Aluminium
 • Steel

❖ Calculations – Energy release rate can be calculated by the Load Vs

Displacement curve

the area OAM is the energy released when the crack moves through
distance Δa.
❖ Results –
• Energy release rate:-
1. Aluminium without crack 871.02 KJ.
2. Aluminium with 1.5 mm crack 588.39 KJ.
3. Aluminium with 3 mm crack 344.43 KJ.
4. Steel without crack 6781.5 KJ.
5. Steel with 1.5 mm crack 2387.5 KJ.
6. Steel with 2 mm crack 2134.1 KJ.
7. Steel with 3 mm crack 1528.8 KJ.
From the energy release rate values it is evident that the
Fracture toughness of the material decreases with the increase
in initial crack length.
• It is evident from the graphs that with the inclusion of crack and
with increase in initial crack length the stiffness values decreases
for both the steel and aluminium specimens.
• It is also observed that the compliance values increases with the
increase in initial crack length for both the specimens.