ME 334 Lab 3: Charpy Impact Testing

Purpose: To perform Charpy impact tests on several different materials and compare their properties.
Location: 124 Duckering
Equipment:

Charpy impact tester

Material specimens
Safety glasses

Description:
One measure of material toughness is impact resistance. Impact resistance is measured by how much
energy is absorbed when a material is struck by sudden impact. The more energy is absorbed by the
impact, the less energy is available to propagate to the other side of the material. Thats why highly
impact-resistant materials are used for protection and cushioning, in situations such as packaging,
bicycle helmets, and safety glasses (such as the ones you need to wear for this lab!).
Because the standard specimen for a Charpy test starts with a sharp crack, the Charpy test is also a
measure of notch toughness. Different materials have different notch sensitivities.
The standard test for energy absorption during impact is the Charpy Test, which impacts the material
with an anvil of a standard mass, dropped from a standard height. The anvil swings into the material
specimen, and some of its kinetic energy is absorbed as it breaks through the specimen. The anvil then
swings up the other side, although not to the same height as it started. The difference in potential
energy at and of the swing, and at the beginning of the swing, tells how much energy was absorbed by
the material impact.

Source: Callister W.D. Jr., Materials Science and Engineering : An Introduction , Pg. 198 Figure 8.13, John
Wiley and Sons, Inc.
A standard Charpy specimen looks like this (dimensions are in mm):

Source: Industrial Lubrication and Tribology, ISSN: 0036-8792

Procedure:
Each team shall impact test one sample. All teams in each lab section will share data with each other so
that the entire lab section has test results from every material sample tested. Please work amongst
yourselves to ensure that a nice range of samples is covered, including at least two metals and two
plastics, of which one plastic must be polycarbonate. Polycarbonate is interesting for this test because it
is renowned for its toughness (thats why its used for safety glasses).

SAFETY NOTES:
1. The anvil is very heavy. Be very careful not to let it swing into any body parts.
2. When the test samples are struck, bits and pieces will fly about. Wear long-sleeved shirts, long
pants, and safety glasses.
3. Prior to loading or unloading samples, or doing ANYTHING under the anvil, pull the pendulum
arm fully back and lock it into place using the safety latch.
Test procedure:
I.

First, calibrate the Charpy tester.

a.
b.
c.
d.

II.

Raise the anvil of the Charpy tester to its loaded position.

Place the needle of the reader to the maximum position (to the left).
Release the anvil.
In theory, the needle of the reader should move to 0, because 0 energy was absorbed in
the nonexistent impact. Did it? If not, write the number down for calibration.

Now you can test samples.

a. Raise the anvil of the Charpy tester to its loaded position.
b. Place the needle of the reader to the maximum position (to the left).
c. Load your selected sample into its slot, with the notch centered and facing AWAY from
where the anvil will strike:

d. Write down the number that the needle stopped at. This number describes the energy
absorbed during the impact.
e. Examine the fracture surfaces of the sample. What do you observe?
f. Wait for the anvil to slow down before you attempt to stop it.
g. After the test is done, leave the anvil hanging in its lowest position.
Questions:
1. Calculate how much energy was absorbed by each material.
2. Rank the materials in highest to lowest impact resistance. Think about and comment on why
that is.
3. Think about and comment on the condition of the fracture surfaces.