Determination of Crack Arrest Toughness at High Temperatures Using Compact Specimens

In order to determine the influence of the test temperature on the crack arrest toughness, investigations were carried out on pressure vessel steels of various strength and toughness up to the upper-shelf of the Charpy V-notch impact energy (C_V-energy). The tests were conducted on the basis of the proposed ASTM test method for ferritic steels with modified wedge-loaded compact specimens. The thickness ranged from 0.75–6.69 in. (19–170 mm), the in-plane dimensions from 3.94–15.75 in. (100–400 mm). The comparison with the reference curves of the American and German guidelines showed significant discrepancies at high temperatures.