The Small Punch Test for Creep and Fracture Prediction

The book is focused on using an innovative small- scale testing technique, namely the small-punch method, for lifetime predictions of service components operating at high temperatures for application in several sectors of the power industry, as well as, metals and chemical process industries, and nuclear reactors. The work is to support the recently published Code of Practice for small-punch testing demonstrating the suitability and reliability of this method mainly for evaluating the creep properties of ferritic / martensitic steels and their weldments. The work strives to demonstrate that an important and reliable material information can be obtained by using only very small flat discs, thus avoiding unacceptable damage to the components or the need for repairing weldments. The potential of the small-punch method for fracture properties estimation, such as ductile-to-brittle transition temperature and fracture toughness, has been demonstrated as well.

Autorentext

Eng. Darina T. Blagoeva, PhD in Engineering Mechanics, University of Pisa (UNIPI), DIMNP, Italy 2009; Master in Eng. Physics, University of Sofia, Bulgaria 1994. Professor Roger Hurst, Ph.D.,M.Sc.,B.Sc. Metallurgy, UMIST, Manchester UK; Honorary Professor of Materials Engineering, Swansea University, UK; Adviser, EC JRC-IE, Petten, NL.