Instrumented and temperature-controlled charpy impact tester

Abstract

An imprivement of a Charpy-type impact tester has been made by attaching a force transducer together with damping materials to the striker, thereby reducing the mechanical vibration. Through processing of a time-based force signal a true force-displacement curve, modulus, rupture energy, deflection and failure stress can readily be obtained. Furthermore, an installation controlling the temperature of the samples has been developed. It consists of, amongst other things, thermally insulated sample holders with an internal coolant flow and a collapsible chamber swept with temperature-controlled dry nitrogen. The precision of the sample temperature thus obtained is as close as ±1 °C.