Kug-Hwan Kim

Evaluation of high-temperature tensile properties of Ti-6Al-4V using instrumented indentation testing

Since materials used in or exposed to high-temperature environments can undergo variation or degradation of mechanical properties, it is important to evaluate mechanical properties at high temperature, in particular for structural applications and aerospace materials. Instrumented indentation testing (IIT) is widely used to evaluate such mechanical properties of materials as tensile properties, residual stress, fracture toughness, etc., exploiting theoretical approaches to indentation mechanics. In this study, we used IIT to evaluate variations in tensile properties with temperature of the Ti alloy Ti-6Al-4V, a candidate material for aerospace applications, using a high-temperature chamber and a modified representation method. Comparison of our results with conventional uniaxial tensile test results showed good agreement (within a 10% error range) in yield strength and ultimate tensile strength. This confirms the potential of IIT for evaluating to evaluate high-temperature tensile properties of metallic materials and for research on material behavior in various temperature conditions.

Instrumented Indentation Testing to Evaluate High-Temperature Material Properties

Mechanical properties must be evaluated at high temperatures to predict high-temperature deformation and fracture behavior, since high-temperature properties differ greatly from those at room temperature. A high-temperature uniaxial tensile test, a representative high-temperature test, is generally used, but it has the limitation of obtaining merely the average material properties. Recently an advanced method for evaluating tensile properties has been developed: the instrumented indentation test (IIT), which simultaneously applies a load and measures displacement. Here we use instrumented indentation testing to evaluate the flow properties (yield strength, ultimate tensile strength, etc.) of heat-resistant steel at high temperature. The contact-area determination algorithm and representative stress-representative strain approach are applied for high temperatures. We compare our experimental results to those of conventional high-temperature uniaxial tensile testing to assess the high-temperature performance of the instumented indentation test.Copyright

Application of Instrumented Indentation Technique to Small-Scale Testing of Pressure Vessels and Piping Systems

The instrumented indentation technique (IIT) is a powerful tool for measuring mechanical properties by analyzing the load-penetration depth curve. It differs from conventional test methods such as tensile testing, CTOD, etc., in being applicable to small samples and to localized sections where material properties change rapidly. It also has the significant advantage of simplicity in specimen preparation and experimental procedure. Analytic models and procedures are presented here for evaluating flow properties and stress state using IIT; the flow properties are treated by defining the representative stress and strain underneath a spherical indenter and the residual stress by using a stress-insensitive contact hardness model. Flow properties of 5 steel materials were measured by IIT and compared with those from uniaxial tensile tests. The residual stress states of a welded joint were evaluated and compared with those measured by mechanical saw cutting. Examples of the application of IIT to small-scale materials and localized sections of pressure vessel and piping systems in situ are also presented.Copyright

Application of Nondestructive Instrumented Indentation Technique in Small-Scale Testing of Pressure Vessel and Piping Systems

Most small-scale testing techniques are essentially scaled-down versions of conventional testing techniques: they use specimens of similar geometry applied in a similar manner to estimate properties equivalent to those obtained for larger specimens. However, using these techniques for safety assessment of structures and piping systems requires general agreement about the techniques and validation of their results. In addition, these techniques all require destructive testing. In this study we adopt a new nondestructive method to measure the mechanical properties using the instrumented indentation technique. This technique can be applied directly in small-scale and localized sections because of its high spatial resolution. It also has the significant advantage of simplicity of specimen preparation and experimental procedure. During instrumented indentation testing, the load and penetration depth of an indenter tip driven into the sample are monitored, and material properties such as strength, fracture toughness and residual stress are evaluated from this information: the tensile properties by defining a representative stress and strain underneath a spherical indenter; the residual stress values near weldments by using the stress-insensitive contact hardness model.Copyright

Assessment of Residual Stress and Determination of Stress Directionality by Instrumented Indentation Technique

The instrumented indentation technique has taken the limelight as a promising alternative to conventional residual stress measurement methods for welds with rapid microstructural gradients because of its easy and nondestructive testing procedure. The technique is based on the key concept that the deviatoric-stress part of residual stress affects the indentation load-depth curve. By analyzing the difference between the residual stress-induced curve and residual stress-free curve, the quantitative residual stress of the target region can be evaluated. To determine the stress-free curve of the target region, we take into consideration microstructural changes that accommodate strength differences. In addition, we determine the ratio of the non-equibiaxial residual stress by using an asymmetric Knoop indenter, which has an elongated four-sided pyramidal geometry. We find that the load-depth curve is changed on penetration direction of the long diagonal for Knoop indenter, and derive a quantitative relation between the stress ratio and the load difference through both theoretical analysis and experiments. Finally, indentation tests and conventional tests were performed on the welded zone to verify the applicability of the technique. The estimated residual stress values obtained from instrumented indentation technique agreed well with those from conventional tests.Copyright

Application of Instrumented Indentation Technique for Small Scale Testing

Instrumented indentation technique (IIT) is a novel tool to estimate mechanical properties such as tensile properties, residual stress and fracture toughness by analyzing indentation load-depth curve measured during loading-unloading of indentation. It can be applied directly in small-scale and localized sections of pressure vessel and pipeline since the preparation of specimen is very easy and the experimental procedure is feasible and nondestructive. We present the principles developed for measuring mechanical properties using IIT; the tensile properties by defining the representative stress and strain underneath a spherical indenter, the residual stress near the weldments using the stress-insensitive contact hardness model, and the fracture toughness of ductile metal based on critical indentation energy model. The experimental results from IIT were verified by comparing the results from the conventional methods such as uniaxial tensile test for tensile properties, mechanical saw-cutting and hole-drilling methods for residual stress, and CTOD test for fracture toughness. In particular, the applications of IIT in small scale materials and localized sections of the pressure vessel and pipeline in-use and in-fields are presented.© 2007 ASME