Miniaturized Disk Bend Test Technique Development and Application

The objective of miniaturized specimen technology is to enable the characterization of mechanical behavior while using a greatly reduced or minimum volume of material. The significance of this technology is obvious to the nuclear industry where neutron irradiation space is limited and irradiation costs scale with specimen volume. In addition, the substantial advantages resulting from application of this technology in non-nuclear industries are only beginning to be realized.

The initial development of a miniaturized disk bend test (MDBT) for extraction of post-irradiation mechanical behavior information from disk-shaped specimens no larger than transmission electron microscopy samples is described. Central loading with a hemispherically tipped punch is used to measure load/deflection curves to fracture. These load/deflection curves are simulated using finite element analysis. This approach to miniature mechanical property testing is shown to offer the potential for the derivation of uniaxial flow properties.

This paper primarily emphasizes the development of test techniques and procedures; however, results for the determination of uniaxial tensile behavior are presented to demonstrate the validity of the basic methodology. Recommended techniques for specimen design, specimen preparation, experimental design, experimental implementation, and data analysis are presented.