Ductile fracture of pipe-ring notched bend specimens - Micromechanical analysis

Integrity of pipes is typically assessed by testing fracture mechanics specimens, such as compact tensile (CT) or single-edge notched bending (SENB). However, for some pipe dimensions it is not easy or possible to fabricate a specimen conforming to the requirements of standard procedures. A new type of specimen is proposed recently, which can be advantageous for relatively small pipe diameters and axial defects - the pipe ring notch bend specimen - PRNB. In this work, criteria for failure by ductile fracture of PRNB specimens are determined experimentally and by application of micromechanical analysis. The influence of size of the specimen, as well as size and shape of the stress concentrator, is analysed. The results of this study, along with previous authors results, lead to the conclusion that the pipe ring specimens can be applied in integrity assessment of pipes with defects. Also, the benefits of their application include much simpler fabrication and the same material history as the pipe itself. (C) 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.