A Pilot Experiment to Determine the Feasibility of Reconstituting Tested Irradiated Charpy V Specimens

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Abstract
The role of the Charpy V impact test specimen is well established in irradiation studies of reactor pressure vessel materials and forms the basis for the safety justification of light-water reactor pressure vessels throughout their service life. This report details the experimental work carried out towards determining the feasibility of reconstituting further Charpy V specimens from previously tested Charpy V specimens. In this pilot study each broken half of an A533(B) (Unified Numbering System [UNS] K12539) type plate and a submerged are weld metal Charpy V specimen was electron beam welded between two extension pieces of compatible material (A533(B) plate) with matching cross section. After minimal machining each reconstituted Charpy V specimen was impact tested. To validate this technique, broken halves of three high and three low energy Army Materials and Mechanics Research Center (AMMRC) standardized calibration Charpy V specimens were also reconstituted. In addition, a simple photoelastic study was carried out on a replica Charpy V specimen made from birefringent material. This was an attempt to assess the minimum size of test material that could be reconstituted into a Charpy V specimen. In all instances the results were extremely encouraging, especially in the case of the reconstituted AMMRC specimens, and indicated both the feasibility and validity of reconstituting tested Charpy V specimens of low alloy steel reactor pressure vessel type materials. In addition, it is apparent that as small as a 10-mm “insert” of test material could be successfully reconstituted. The results are discussed and speculation made as to the potential use of this technique with respect to irradiated material.

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