Usage of small-punch-test for the characterisation of reactor vessel steels in the brittle-ductile transition region

This paper presents a method for the identification of hardening parameters in the brittle-ductile transition region and the determination of WEIBULL parameters in the brittle region. A small-punch-test device is developed for hot cells, where a miniaturised disk-like specimen is manufactured and deformed by a spherical punch. Its load-displacement-curve is analysed regarding its information about the material behaviour. Using Neural Networks, an identification routine is presented, which avoids time-consuming calculations with FEM during an optimisation algorithm. Identified material properties are compared with data from tensile tests. WEIBULL parameters are calculated for temperatures at which cleavage fracture occurs using the identified hardening parameters.