Modern structural integrity assessment procedures in the field of nuclear related technology incorporate fracture
mechanical concepts. Therefore, they inevitably require the availability of both, loading parameters as well as material
characteristics in terms of fracture mechanical quantities. Especially in case of dynamic loading conditions, the methods
for the determination of the loading parameters need further improvement and there is a lack of material characteristics
as well. In Germany, ductile cast iron (DCI) is used for heavy-sectioned casks for radioactive materials. New developments
in cask design and efforts to extend the application limits require further investigations. The present study is part
of an ongoing fracture mechanics research programme of BAM which is focused on the systematic mechanical and
fracture mechanical material characterisation of DCI materials under dynamic loading conditions. In this study, results
of fracture mechanics investigations on ductile cast iron from an original DCI container with a wide variety of microstructure
under dynamic loading conditions in the temperature range from -50 °C to +22 °C are presented. Large scale
as well as small scale single edge crack bend specimens SE(B) with thicknesses of 140 mm and 15 mm, respectively
were tested. Furthermore, it is reported on the results of a finite element simulation of the dynamic large scale fracture
mechanics tests. Strength and deformation characteristics were determined in dynamic tensile tests. They are discussed
with respect to the influence of pearlite content and test temperature. The material specific experimental difficulties in
the determination of reliable dynamic crack initiation toughness values of DCI are outlined.
Dynamic fracture mechanics characteristics are required for design and safety proof of advanced
ductile cast iron (DCI) components. In this paper, the analytical compliance ratio
(CR) and numerical finite element (FE) key curve methods were investigated for dynamic Rcurve
testing. Two DCI materials, a purely ferritic and a ferritic one with 18 % of pearlite,
were tested at room temperature (RT) and -40 °C. The special focus is on the impact of the
materials damage and fracture behaviour on performance and limitations of the investigated
methods.
Systematic metallographic and fractographic microstructural analyses were performed accompanying
the test program. Summarizing systematics of the specific damage behaviour
and fracture mechanisms were developed taking microstructure, loading rate, specimen geometry
and test temperature into account.
There has been a change from ductile to brittle fracture mechanism observed at -40 °C with
ferritic DCI and even at RT with ferritic-pearlitic DCI. The ferritic-pearlitic DCI did not show Rcurve
behaviour at -40 °C and only single Juc values could be determined. Furthermore, with
ferritic-pearlitic DCI, random pearlite shares in the ligament caused the relation between
loading rate, force-deflection record and crack extension not to remain uniquely defined.
Therefore, the FE key curve method proofed not to be applicable since the FE model was
based on homogeneous isotropic material and ductile failure mode only. The analytical CR
key curve method worked well only with selected combinations of microstructure, specimen
geometry and temperature.
In summary it has to be concluded that a robust, accurate and sufficiently simple dynamic
key curve method that was suited for application in quality control of industrial relevant DCI
qualities cannot be provided currently.