NICK BREAK AND FRACTURE TEST

Objective: This experiment covers test method for break test on butt weld and fillet
weld and examines the surface for weld area. Break test involves
breaking the weld joint to examine the fractured surfaces for external
defects.
The nick break test is useful for determining the internal quality of the
weld metal. This test reveals various internal defects (if present), such as
slag inclusions, gas pockets, lack of fusion, and oxidized or burned
metal.

Procedures:

1. To accomplish the nick-break test for checking a butt weld, the specimen
preparation was began by cutting using plasma cutting.
2. The important thing in this test is the bevel preparation. At the edge of the
specimen should be machined by using milling machine that has been set to
45o.
3. The bevelled need to be clean surface and the angle of the bevel must be 45o.
4. We used FCAW as the welding process to join the specimen.
5. The test specimen shall be cut transversely to the welded joint and shall have
the full thickness of the plate at the joint. This was shown by the figure 2
below.

Figure 2 Specimen has been cutted

6. Make a saw cut at each edge and at the surface through the center of the weld.
The depth of cut slot should be refer to the lowest weld bead as long as all the
welded joint have been sawed as shown from figure 3 below.

Saw slot

Figure 3 Specimen from side

 7. Next, place the saw-nicked specimen on two steel supports, as shown in figure
4 below. But in this experiment, we us same method as bending test
equipment. The only different that we have done is the test specimen was
placed with the surface face upward.

Surface

Figure 4 Nick-break test position

8. Applied the force using testing machine onto test specimen.

9. The forced should be applied until the test specimen break or fracture.

Result:

From the figure 5 below, it’s show the result of the nick break test. The
applied forced that have been applied when the specimen break have been taken.
For the first applied force, the gauge indicated at 400psi and the specimen was turn
backward and the second applied forced that make the test specimen break is at
200psi.

Figure 5 Test result

The fracture surface is then examined either by using eyes or hand. The type and
location of any weld defect have been spotted internal defects such as:

(i) Gas pockets

(ii) Slag inclusions
(iii) Porosity.

We also have spotted corrosion that has been propagated in the weld joining.

Discussion and Conclusion:

From what we have achieved from the experiment, it shows the internal defect
that occurs in the weld joint as the results that have been spotted. The weld
penetration also not deeper and this is shown by the applied force before the test
specimen break.
This is because of the welding preparation including the bevel preparation and
also involved welding technique. The corrosion also occurs in the break structure.
This is because of the oxidation and to avoid that, the test specimen should be test
immediately after been prepared. The other effect is the slag that not been removed
after the weld run and this will result gas pocket and porosity. To avoid that, the slag
should be removed after every weld.

References:

1. Nick Break, Weldability, ASTM, TCR Engineering Services, Material Testing

Laboratory

2. Nick Break Test