Experimental Techniques

BEND TEST

Vinay Bhatt

22-Sep. 2006

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 What is Bend Test ?

• To determine the ductility of a material.

• Determines the smallest radius around which a

specimen can be bent without cracks being
observed in the outer fibre (tension) surface.

• Developed as a shop floor material inspection test

due to its pass/fail qualities, simplicity and the low
cost of the required tooling.

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 Terms used in Bend Test

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 Terms used in Bend Test

• Bend radius is expressed in multiples of specimen

thickness’ t’.

• A material with a minimum bend radius of 3t can

be bent without cracking through a radius equal to
three times the specimen thickness.

• Thus, a material with a minimum bend radius of 1t

has greater ductility than a material with a
minimum bend radius of 5t.

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 Free Bend Test

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 Free Bend Test

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 Guided Bend Test

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 Semi-Guided Bend

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 V-Block Bending Device

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 Bending Stresses

 At w/t > 8, bending occurs

under plain strain conditions(σ2/
σ1=0.5, ε2 = 0) and bend ductility
is independent of the exact width-
to-thickness ratio.

At w/t<0.5, bending occurs

under plain stress conditions(σ2/
σ1<0.5) with plastic deformation
in all principal strain directions
and bend ductility is strongly
dependent on the width-to
thickness ratio
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 Specimen Location

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 Specimen Location

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 Specimens
• Specimens to be prepared by cutting the test plate or pipe to
form specimens of approximately rectangular cross section.

• Cut surfaces are sides of the specimen.

• Other two surfaces are called face and root surfaces.

• Face surface having the greater width of weld.

• Specimens are of five types depending on

- Whether the axis of the weld is transverse or parallel to the
longitudinal axis of the specimen.
- Which surface(side,face or root) is on the convex(outer) side
of bent specimen.

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 Side Bend

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 Face and Root Bend

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 Acceptance Criteria
• Guided bend specimen shall have no open discontinuity in the
weld or HAZ exceeding 3 mm measured in any direction on
the convex surface of the specimen.
• Open discontinuities on the corner of the specimen shall not
be considered
• For corrosion resistant weld overlay cladding, no open
discontinuity exceeding 1.5 mm measured in any direction
shall be permitted in the cladding.
• No open discontinuity exceeding 3 mm shall be permitted
along the approximate weld interface.
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 References

• Mechanical Metallurgy by George E. Dieter,

Page 275-300, McGraw Hill, New York
Publication.
• ASTM E-8” Standard test Methods for Tension
Testing of Metallic Materials” Page 57-77
• ASTM E190 “ Standard Test Method for Guided
Bend Test for Ductility of Welds”
• ASTM E290 :” Standard Test Methods for Bend
Testing of Material for Ductility” Page 346-352

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