Analysis Of Fracture Location on Tensile Graphite Samples
The main standard for testing the ultimate tensile strength of graphite is ASTM C749. Commercial entities have raised concerns about samples breaking outside of the gauge section, particularly in the radius or head of the sample. When this occurs, the data gathered from the samples is unusable and increases the cost of testing as more samples will need to be machined. This study investigates the locations and frequency of sample breakage for four different grades of graphite using a custom-made measurement scale. The four grades include two fine-grain (2114 and IG-110) and two medium/coarse-grain (NBG-17 and PCEA). Our results show that fine-grain grades are more susceptible to breaking outside the gauge section, with almost 30% of the samples from grade 2114 breaking outside this region. Additionally, the radius being too small causes stress concentrations near the ends of the gauge section resulting in a bimodal distribution of the fracture locations.