Instructor

Informal report

DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING
UNIVERSITY TENAGA NASIONAL
Semester 1 2021/2022
Mechanics and Materials Lab
MEMB221/MEMB2031

Title of : Experiment 7 : Impact Tester

Experiment

Name and ID : Muhammad Solehen Bin Ibrahim *Leave this table empty
(ME0107347)

*Criteria CO1 CO5

:
Group Members Nicholas Lo Zhan Xin (ME0106424)
A (i)

A(ii)
: Mohammad Abdulhadi (ME0105493)
B

: C(i)

C(ii)
Group No. : 01
D

E
Section : 02B
F

G
Day & Date of : Thursday (11/11/2021)
Experiment Others

Total /19 /3
Date of : Wednesday (17/11/2021)
submission Overall /22
 1) Nicholas Lo Zhan
Xin 3) Mohammad Abdulhadi
2) Muhammad Solehen Bin Ibrahim

1) ME0106424 2) ME0107347 3) ME0105493

04B 01 11/11/2021

An impact testa test

is used to evaluate the different characteristicsimpact
including the
strength and toughness, of the tested material under a sudden impact. It also calculates
the total energy absorbed by the material during the impact.

Name of : Dr. Abreeza Noorlina binti Abd. Manap

Instructor
Objective
1. To develop an understanding of fracture toughness.
2. To investigate the influence of the notch shape on the notched bar impact work.
3. To test ability of different types of specimen impacts using two materials for impact test.

Data and Observation

Initial conditions:
Polymer A: 6cm x 1cm x 1cm
Polymer B: 6cm x 1cm x 1cm
Mass of pendulum: 3.8kg
Weight of pendulum: 3.8 x 9.81= 37.28 N
Pendulum length: 400mm

Final condition :

Description Readings taken from Impact Observation of the Fractured area

polymer (m2)
Tester

Without polymer Pendulum: 25J Charpy (Max 25J) - -

Energy: 0.05J
Angle of inclination: 147.60°

Polymer A Pendulum: 25J Charpy (Max 25J) Polymer broke completely 1 x 1 = 1cm2
into two pieces.
Energy: 0.51J
Angle of inclination: 144.09°

Polymer B Pendulum: 25J Charpy (Max 25J) Polymer did not completely 1 x 0.8 = 0.8cm2
break into two pieces.
Energy: 3.19J
Angle of inclination: 127.71°
 Polymer A

Polymer B

Figure 1: Comparison of Polymer A and Polymer B after impact test

Analysis and Result

Sample
Polymer A B

Fractured Area (cm²) 1 0.8

Angle of Inclination before (α 1 ¿ 147.60° 147.60°

Angle of Inclination after (α 2 ¿ 144.07° 127.71°

Potential Energy of the system when released (K) (Joule(J)) 27.5 27.5

Potential Energy after impact (T) (Joule(J)) 26.99 24.03

Energy consumed for fracture (E) @ Actual value 0.51 3.19

Impact Energy (Joule(J))
Theoretical value 0.51 3.47

Impact strength is (KCU) (J/cm²) Actual value 0.51 3.99

Theoretical value 0.51 4.33

Table 2: Actual value vs theoretical value

Calculation :

Given

 Force (F) = 37.28 N

 Length (pendulum) (L) = 400mm

Fracture Area (A) : - Specimen A : 1cm2

- Specimen B : 0.8 cm²

1. Potential Energy of the system when released (K)

K= FL(1+sin (α 1-90))

2. Potential Energy after impact (T)

T= FL(1-cos (α 2))

3. Energy consumed for fracture (E)

E = K-T

4. Impact strength is (KCU)

KCU = E/A

Sample Calculation : (For Polymer A) Sample Calculation : (For Polymer B)

K = (37.28 )(400 ×10−3 ) ( 1+ sin (147.60° - 90°)

K = (37.28)(400×10−3 )( 1+ sin (147.60°- 90°)
= 27.5J
= 27.5J
T = (37.28 )( 400 ×10−3 ) (1-cos 127.71°)
−3
T = (37.28 )( 400 ×10 ) (1-cos 144.07°) = 24.03J
= 26.99J
E = 27.5J – 24.03J = 3.47J
E = 27.5J – 26.99J = 0.51J

KCU = 0.51J / 1cm2 = 0.51J/ cm2

KCU = 3.47J / 0.8cm2 = 4.33J/ cm2

Percentage error calculation between actual and theoretical value

actual – theoretical
Percentage error = | | x 100%
theoretical
Impact Energy & Impact strength error :

Polymer A Polymer B

0.51 – 0.51 3.19−3.47

Percentage error = | | x 100= 0% Percentage error =Sample
| | x 100=
0.51 3.47
8.07%
Polymer A Polymer B
0.51 – 0.51
Percentage error
Percentage error (%)
=| | x 100= 0%
0.51 Impact Energy 0
Percentage error = |
3.99 – 4.33 8.07
| x 100=
4.33
Impact strength 7.85% 0 7.85
Discussion

By comparing the specimens used, it can be conclude that the best specimen that gives highest impact
energy is polymer B. it can be said that the Polymer B is High Density Poly Ethylene (HDPE) and the Polymer
A is Low Density Poly Ethylene (LDPE). Toughness is a property that describes a material's ability to withstand
fracture when subjected to impact. To break or fracture tougher materials, more energy or force is required. As a
result, it may absorb more energy when it is applied to it. So, hypothesis that can be made from this experiment
is the more energy absorbed by the specimen, the more toughness the materials will be. The actual results
obtained from the experiment showed that the hypothesis is similar to the result obtained. It is stated that the
Polymer B is tougher than Polymer A and the result from the experiment also shows the same as Polymer B
absorb more energy (T) compared to Polymer A. This is because Polymer B more ductile than Polymer A and
Polymer A is a more brittle.

In this experiment, Polymer A specimens broke completely into two parts wit broken surface while
Polymer B only undergo plastic deformation and did not fractured. This is because Polymer B is more ductile
than Polymer A. The correlation that could be made is a higher toughness material will absorb more energy
upon impact and will therefore result in a high height to which the pendulum arm will swing to follow the strike
and produce a reading with a high impact value A specimen with the lowest absorbed energy is brittle and has
the least toughness, making it rapidly breakable and unable to endure sudden high loads. Specimen with highest
absorbed energy means it’s ductile and has highest toughness which can withstand the sudden high loads upon
collision.

Factors that can affect the impact energy value obtained could come from many aspects in this
experiment which are including the inconsistent room temperature, friction from air and bearing and human
errors and Instrumental error. Instrumental error occurred because of the specimens’ condition and also the
equipment used. The specimen used in this experiment rust a little so it may affect the plastic deformation or
fracture condition result The pendulum impact tester used in the experiment is outdated and in low running
condition, unable to provide exact readings. If the pendulum impact tester is in proper working condition, the
reading should be zero because no collisions are occurring. As the result we can observe from experiment, the
percentage error for Polymer A is 0% meanwhile for Polymer B is 7.85% which conclude that theoretical is also
important for calculation

The Charpy test is commonly used in the construction of pressure vessels and structures, and it is highly
essential to decide which material is optimum for air resistance.
Conclusion
A high force or shock applied over a short period of time is described as an impact. A greater force
applied over a proportionally longer time period might sometimes have a bigger effect than a lower force
applied over a shorter time period. An material struck by a projectile will deform at normal speeds during a
collision, and this deformation will absorb most, however not all, of the force of the collision. These
deformations, however, are not instantaneous. A high-velocity collision (an impact) does not provide these
deformations enough time to occur. As a result, the struck material reacts as if it were more brittle than it truly
is, and the most of the applied force is used to fracture it.From the Charpy impact test that we have done,
Polymer A(LDPE) undergoes brittle fracture while the Polymer B undergoes ductile fracture but because of
low energy supply from the pendulum, the Polymer B just undergoes plastic deformation. More energy is
absorbed by Polymer B (HDPE) shows that it is more suitable to be use in the structural construction that
expose to high load and high impact collision such as vehicles body.
Reference

1) Mechanics and Materials Laboratory Manual Book, UNITEN

2) Ferdinand P. Beer, E. Russell Johnston, Jr. John T. Dewolf. 2004. Mechanics of Materials. Third Edition In SI
Unit. McGraw Hill

3) James F. Shackelford. 2000. Materials Science For Engineers. 5th edition. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey :
Prentice – Hall, Inc.

4) William D. Callister, Jr..2000. Materials Science and Engineering – An Introduction. 5th edition.
New York : John Wiley & Sons, Inc..