ASTM E436-03(2014)

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Designation: E436 − 03 (Reapproved 2008) E436 − 03 (Reapproved 2014)
Standard Test Method for
Drop-Weight Tear Tests of Ferritic Steels
This standard is issued under the fixed designation E436; the number immediately following the designation indicates the year of
original adoption or, in the case of revision, the year of last revision. A number in parentheses indicates the year of last reapproval. A
superscript epsilon (´) indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.
1. Scope
1.1 This test method covers drop-weight tear tests (DWTT) on ferritic steels with thicknesses between 3.18 and 19.1 mm.
1.2 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as standard. No other units of measurement are included in this standard.
1.3 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility
of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory
limitations prior to use.
2. Referenced Documents
2.1 ASTM Standards:
E208 Test Method for Conducting Drop-Weight Test to Determine Nil-Ductility Transition Temperature of Ferritic Steels
E1823 Terminology Relating to Fatigue and Fracture Testing
3. Terminology
3.1 Terminology E1823 is applicable to this test method.
4. Significance and Use
4.1 This test method can be used to determine the appearance of propagating fractures in plain carbon or low-alloy pipe steels
(yield strengths less than 825 MPa) over the temperature range where the fracture mode changes from brittle (cleavage or flat) to
ductile (shear or oblique).
4.2 This test method can serve the following purposes:
4.2.1 For research and development, to study the effect of metallurgical variables such as composition or heat treatment, or of
fabricating operations such as welding or forming on the mode of fracture propagation.
4.2.2 For evaluation of materials for service to indicate the suitability of a material for specific applications by indicating
fracture propagation behavior at the service temperature(s).
4.2.3 For information or specification purposes, to provide a manufacturing quality control only when suitable correlations have
been established with service behavior.
5. Apparatus
5.1 The testing machine shall be either a pendulum type or a vertical-dropped-weight (Note 1) type. The machine shall provide
sufficient energy to completely fracture a specimen in one impact.
5.1.1 As a guide in the design of the equipment it has been found that up to 2712 J of energy may be required to completely
fracture specimens of steel up to 12.7 mm in thickness with tensile strengths to 690 MPa.
NOTE 1—Equipment of the vertical-dropped-weight variety that can be readily modified to conduct the drop-weight tear test is described in Test Method
E208.
NOTE 2—Current pipeline grade steels take more thn 4kJ at design temperature of -5°C
5.2 The specimen shall be supported in a suitable manner to prevent sidewise rotation of the specimen.
This method is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee E08 on Fatigue and Fractureand is the direct responsibility of Subcommittee E08.02 on Standards and
Terminology.
Current edition approved Nov. 1, 2008July 1, 2014. Published February 2009September 2014. Originally approved in 1971. Last previous edition approved 20032008 as
E436E436–03(2008). – 03. DOI: 10.1520/E0436-03R08.10.1520/E0436-03R14.
For referenced ASTM standards, visit the ASTM website, www.astm.org, or contact ASTM Customer Service at service@astm.org. For Annual Book of ASTM Standards
volume information, refer to the standard’s Document Summary page on the ASTM website.
Copyright © ASTM International, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, PO Box C700, West Conshohocken, PA 19428-2959. United States
E436 − 03 (2014)
1 3
FIG. 1 Drop-Weight Tear Test Specimens and Support Dimensions and Tolerances (for Specimens ⁄8 to ⁄4 in. in Thickness)
5.3 The velocity of the hammer (in either type of testing machine) shall be not less than 4.88 m/s.
6. Test Specimen
6.1 The test specimen shall be a 76.2 by 305-mm by full-plate-thickness edge-notch bend specimen employing a pressed notch.
Fig. 1 presents the dimensions and tolerances of the specimens. The specimens shall be removed from the material under test by
sawing, shearing, or flame cutting, with or without machining.
NOTE 3—If the specimen is flame cut it is usually difficult to press in the notch unless the heat-affected zone is removed by machining.
6.2 The notch shall be pressed to the depth shown in Fig. 1 with a sharp tool-steel chisel with an included angle of 45 6 2°.
Machined notches are prohibited.
NOTE 4—The notch radius obtained with a sharp tool-steel chisel is normally between 0.013 to 0.025 mm. When many specimens are to be tested, it
is helpful to use a jig that will guide the chisel and stop it at the proper depth.
7. Procedure
7.1 In the temperature range from − 73 to 100°C employ the procedure described in 7.1.1 and 7.1.2.
7.1.1 Completely immerse the specimens in a bath of suitable liquid at a temperature within 61°C of the desired test
temperature for a minimum time of 15 min prior to testing. Separate the specimens by a distance at least equal to the thickness
of the specimen. Make provision for circulation of the bath to assure uniform bath temperature.
NOTE 5—Alternatively, other methods of heating and cooling may be used, provided they produce equivalent time at temperature of the specimens.
7.1.2 Remove the specimens from the bath and break as described herein within a time period of 10-s. If the specimens are held
out of the bath longer than 10 s return them unbroken to the bath for a minimum of 10 min. Do not handle the specimen in the
vicinity of the notch by devices the temperature of which is appreciably different from the test temperature.
7.2 For temperatures outside of the range specified in 7.1 maintain the specimen temperature at the time of impact within 4°C
of the desired test temperature.
7.3 Insert the specimen in the testing machine so that the notch in the specimen lines up with the centerline of the tup on the
hammer within 1.59 mm. Also, center the notch in the specimen between the supports on the anvil.
7.4 Consider tests invalid if the specimen buckles during impact.
NOTE 6—Buckling has been experienced with specimen thicknesses less than 4.75 mm.
8. Specimen Evaluation
8.1 For the purposes of this method, shear-fracture surfaces shall be considered as those having a dull gray silky appearance
which are commonly inclined at an angle to the specimen surface. Cleavage or brittle fractures shall be considered those that are
bright and crystalline in appearance and that are perpendicular to the plate surface. The cleavage fractures generally extend from
the root of the notch and are surrounded by a region of shear or shear lips on the specimen surface.
8.2 Evaluate the specimens (Note 7) by determining the percent shear area of the fracture surface neglecting the fracture surface
for a distance of one specimen thickness from the root of the notch and the fracture surface for a distance of one specimen thickness
from the edge struck by the hammer. Fig. 2 illustrates in the cross-hatched area that portion of the fracture surface to be considered
in the evaluation of the percent shear area of the fracture surface.
NOTE 7—If the specimens are to be preserved for some length of time after evaluation of the shear area or if a considerable time elapses between testing
and evaluation, the fracture surfaces should be treated to keep them from corroding.
E436 − 03 (2014)
FIG. 2 Fracture Surface Included in Shear-Area Determination
FIG. 3 Alternative Shear-Cleavage Fracture Appearance
8.3 Occasionally specimens will exhibit the fracture appearance shown in Fig. 3. On specimens of this type the fracture appears
to have stopped and started a number of times exhibiting intermittent regions of shear and cleavage in the midthickness portion
of the specimen. The shear area included in the rating of specimens of this type shall be that shown in the cross-hatched area of
Fig. 3 (neglect the shear areas in the region of intermittent shear and cleavage fracture in rating the specimen).
8.4 For referee method of determining the percent shear area of the fracture surface, measure the cleavage area of the fracture
surface with a planimeter on a photograph or optical projection of the fracture surface. Then divide the
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