THE INFLUENCE OF COMPETING FRACTURE MODE ON THE DUCTILE TO BRITTLE TRANSITION-TEMPERATURE

The influence of competition between the fracture modes in the ductile to brittle transition region of structural steels on their measured f racture probability density functions (PDF) is considered and analysed . Such competition is shown to shift and distort measured PDFs from tr ue PDFs. Evaluation of a ductile to brittle transition temperature fro m measured data is discussed and is shown to require a consideration o f the true PDFs for fracture by both cleavage and ductile tearing.