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Impact Testing

The document summarizes an experiment to determine the impact strength of high impact polystyrene. Specimens were notched to control the point of fracture and tested in an impact test machine. The average energy required to break the specimens was used to calculate the average impact strength, which was found to be approximately 7.7 kJ/m^2. This result falls within the expected range for high impact polystyrene of 7.34-11.6 kJ/m^2.

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42 views3 pages

Impact Testing

The document summarizes an experiment to determine the impact strength of high impact polystyrene. Specimens were notched to control the point of fracture and tested in an impact test machine. The average energy required to break the specimens was used to calculate the average impact strength, which was found to be approximately 7.7 kJ/m^2. This result falls within the expected range for high impact polystyrene of 7.34-11.6 kJ/m^2.

Uploaded by

Ciara
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Objectives

To determine the impact strength of high impact polystyrene

References
CES Program
Materials & Processes handbook

Introduction
Impact testing is used to measure the amount of energy (joules) is required to fracture a specimen. The
importance of impact strength of a material is highly important when selecting a material for an
application. Impact strength depends on many variable which effect the results, some of these variable
are temperature, strain rate, specimen geometry, fabrication conditions or type of impact test.

Two types of impact test are Charpy and Izod. In the Izod one end of the specimen is clamped down and
the impact is applied to the other end while in the Charpy method each end of the specimen is
supported and the impact occurs in the center. In each method notching may be used to control the
point of fracture.

Experimental Procedure
The specimen’s length and weight were first measured using a micro meter. An average length and
width was then calculated. Using this diagram the ligament was then calculated using 0.5mm for value a.
The specimen was placed into the notching apparatus until it hit the metal plate at the back. The blade
was then turned until the blade was in the downward position. The specimen was then moved until the
blade was resting against the blade. The specimen’s position was then noted. The wheel on the left was
then moved quickly and the one on the right slowly. This continued until the specimen had been moved
by 0.5mm. This created a 0.5mm notch.

Pic of apparatus.

The specimen was then centered into the impact test machine. The safety guard was then put into the
closed position. The striker was then realest. The amount of energy required to brake the specimen was
then noted. The striker was then caught on the upward swing and put back into the locked position.

This procedure was then repeated using different specimens. Using all of the data an average energy
was calculated.

Using the average energy and the average ligament area the average impact strength was calculated.
Results

A = B x (D - a)

(6.186 x 10 -3)(12.71 x 10 -3 ¬ 0.5 x10 -3) = 7.55 x 10 -5 m 2

~ 75 x 10-6 m2

0.582 J
−6 2
=776 0 KJ/m2
75 x 10 m
~ 7.7 kJ/m^2

Discussion of Results
The expected values for high impact polystyrene is within the range 7.34 - 11.6 kJ/m2. This is much
higher when compaired to general purpose which lies within the range 2.86 -3.15 kJ/m 2. The results
from this experiment lie within the range of the high density polystyrene.

Conclusion
The value calculated in this experiment fall with the expected value range.

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