Influence of temperature, strain rate and specimen geometry on the microscopic cleavage fracture stress

Several series of static and dynamic experiments with a German reactor pressure vessel steel have been performed at different temperatures. Besides results of standardized compact tension tests and static and dynamic tensile tests, results of instrumented Charpy-V tests and of dynamically loaded notched round bars are presented. In addition to the evaluation of J values these tests were analyzed numerically by means of a micromechanical damage model in order to finally determine the Weibull parameters of the Beremin model. However, not all of the results of the different series of tests are consistent, suggesting the need for modifications of the evaluation or the model to enable the application to arbitrary temperatures and loading conditions. © 1999 Elsevier Science S.A. All rights reserved.