Izod Impact Test

Abstract

Toughness can be defined as that property of a material by virtue of which it absorbs energy before fracture
and and the amount of plastic deformation that it can undergo before it finally fractures.It is one of the most
important design criteria during manufacturing. Toughness can be measured by various tests like the Charpy
and Izod impact tests, which typically use a pendulum to hit a notched specimen. In the Izod impact test, we
used a striker mounted on a pendulum to test the toughness of a notched mild steel sample. It is different from
the Charpy Impact test in certain subtle ways, like the position of the striker relative to the notch, the position
of the specimen etc. The toughness of mild steel is measured. The most important applications of the Izod
impact test include testing toughness to choose the correct filler metal for rapid cyclic loading conditions.

1 Introduction force or process. This is why the pendulum still touches

the specimen even after it has been fractured. The en-
The Izod Impact test is named after E. G. Izod who first ergy absorbed, i.e. the toughness is measured in Joules.
proposed it. It measures the toughness of a specimen,
held in position by means of a stopper, in the cantilever
beam position. The energy absorbed before fracture is
measured by means of a calibrated dial. 4 Materials and Equipments
Machine Specifications
2 Objective
• Maximum impact energy of pendulum : 168 J (for
To determine the toughness of mild steel specimen by 90 degrees)
the Izod impact test.
• Minimum value of scale graduation : 2 J
• Overall Size
3 Theory • Pendulum drop angle : 141 and 90

The mild steel specimen is in the form of a cantilever • Weight of the machine : 375 kg
beam with a V-shaped notch. The striker is horizontal
and it strikes the specimen on the notch, as opposed to Mild Steel Specimen used
the vertical striker in the Charpy test which strikes op- • Notch angle : 45 degrees
posite to the notch. The scale which measures the energy
absorbed has one division corresponding to 2 joules. The • Thickness of notch : 2 mm
energy range is 0 to 168 joules, corresponding to 90 de-
grees. The position of the notch is such that it is always • Distance of notch from one end : 28 mm
under tension when it is hit by the striker. An important • Dimensions of specimen : 75.1 mm X 9.6 mm X
phenomenon to be considered while performing this test 9.6 mm
is Springback, which refers to the elastic change in shape
when a particular part is released from the deforming

1
 Table 1: Energy readings for Izod test.

Specimen Reading Corresponding Energy

(no. of divisions) (reading*2) (J)
No Specimen 1 2
Mild Steel 40 80

6 Results
6.1 Observations
Calculations :
Initial energy of the pendulum : 168 J
Frictional Loss : 2 J
Total Loss : 80 J
Absorbed Energy = Total loss - Frictional loss
= 78 J

Figure 1: Izod Impact test machine

Figure 3: The specimen after fracture

Figure 2: Specimen before the test

5 Procedure 7 Discussion
The scale is calibrated by measuring the initial losses 7.1 Advantages
from the deflection of the pointer, which were found to
be 2 joules. The dial is again set to zero and the mild • It is a very cost-effective method to measure tough-
steel specimen is mounted in a cantilever beam position ness.
such that the center of the notch is in line with the floor.
• It is relatively easy to perform and provides fast
The initial position of the pendulum is set to 90 degrees.
measurement results.
Then the pendulum is released and it hits the specimen
exactly on the notch. The dial reading is taken when the • It is extensively used to measure the toughness of
specimen has fractured and then the pendulum is allowed materials used for building bridges.
to come to rest. The specimen is removed and observed
for fracture and springback.
7.2 Precautions
Care must be taken while positioning the specimen to
facilitate exact contact between the notch and the striker.
The notch angle must be exactly 45 degrees.

2
8 Conclusion
From the Izod test, we find that the toughness of Mild
Steel sample is 78 Joules. We infer that Mild Steel is a
tough and ductile material. This test can be effectively
used to obtain a qualitative measurement of toughness
and can also be used to calculate the Ductile to brittle
transition temperature.

References
[1] Impact Test. Retrieved October 10th, 2017 from
https://www.element.com/nucleus/2016/12/12/21/43/charpy-
vs-izod-impact
[2] Izod Impact Test. Retrieved October 10th, 2017 from
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Izod-impact-strength-
test/

[3] Machine diagram. Retrieved October 10th, 2017 from

http://sm-nitk.vlabs.ac.in/exp5/