EUROPEAN STANDARD

EN 10 045-1

NORME EUROPENNE
EUROPISCHE NORM

March 1990

UDC 669:620.178.746.22
Key words: Metal products, mechanical tests, Charpy impact tests, test specimens, testing conditions.

English version

Metallic materials Charpy impact test

Part 1: Test method

Matriaux mtalliques Essai de flexion par

choc sur prouvette Charpy
Partie 1: Mthode dessai

Metallische Werkstoffe
Kerbschlagbiegeversuch nach Charpy
Teil 1: Prfverfahren

This European Standard was accepted by CEN on 27 November 1989. CEN

members are bound to comply with the requirements of the CEN/CENELEC
Common Rules which stipulate the conditions for giving this European
Standard the status of a national standard without any alteration.
Up-to-date lists and bibliographical references concerning such national
standards may be obtained on application to the CEN Central Secretariat or to
any CEN member.
This European Standard exists in three official versions (English, French,
German). A version in any other language made by translation under the
responsibility of a CEN member into its own language and notified to CEN
Central Secretariat has the same status as the official versions.
CEN members are the national standard organizations of Austria, Belgium,
Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy,
Luxemburg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and
United Kingdom.

CEN
European Committee for Standardization
Comit Europen de Normalisation
Europisches Komitee fr Normung
Central Secretariat: Rue Brderode 2, B-1000 Brussels

CEN 1990 Copyright reserved to all CEN members

Ref No. EN 10045-1:1990 E

EN 10 045-1:1990

Brief history
The proposal for this European Standard was
prepared by the Technical Committee ECISS/TC1A
Mechanical and physical tests, the Secretariat of
which has been allocated to the Association
Franaise de Normalisation (AFNOR).
It represents the first part of the general standard:
Metallic materials Impact test.
This European Standard replaces the Euronorms:
EU 7-55, Charpy impact test for steel.
EU-45-63, Impact testing using V-notch, beam
type test piece.
This European Standard was adopted by CEN
on 27 November 1989.
According to the Common CEN/CENELEC Rules,
being part of the Internal Regulations of CEN, the
following countries are bound to implement this
European Standard:
Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France,
Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy,
Luxemburg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain,
Sweden, Switzerland and United Kingdom.

Foreword
The standard EN 10 045 concerns metallic
materials Charpy impact test and comprises the
following parts:
Part 1: Method of test;
Part 2: Verification of pendulum impact testing
machines.
Part 1 of EN 10 045 is based on the following ISO
Standards:
ISO 83-1976, Steel Charpy impact test
(U-notch).
ISO 148-1983, Steel Charpy impact test
(V-notch).

Contents
Brief history
Foreword
1
Object and field of application
2
References
3
Principle
4
Designations
5
Test pieces
6
Testing machine
7
Test requirements
8
Test report
Annex A List of national standards
corresponding to the reference European
Standard in preparation
Figure 1 Charpy impact test
Figure 2 Configuration of test piece
supports and anvils
Table 1 Designations
Table 2 Tolerances on specified test piece
dimensions
Table 3 Characteristics of testing
machine
Table 4 National standards corresponding
to proposed European Standard

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EN 10 045-1:1990

1 Object and field of application

5 Test pieces

1.1 This Part of this European Standard describes

the Charpy impact test (U and V-notch) for metallic
materials.

5.1 Sampling, number of test pieces and their

location shall be as specified in the relevant product
standard.

For certain particular metallic materials and

applications, the Charpy impact test may be the
subject of specific standards and particular
requirements.

5.2 The standard test piece shall be 55 mm long and

of square section with 10 mm sides. In the centre of
the length, there shall be a notch. Two types of notch
are specified.

2 References
ISO 286-1-1988, ISO system of limits and fits
Part 1: General, tolerances and deviations.
EN 10 045-21), Metallic materials Charpy impact
test Part 2: Verification of pendulum impact
testing machines.

3 Principle
The test consists of breaking by one blow from a
swinging pendulum, under conditions defined
hereafter, a test piece notched in the middle and
supported at each end. The energy absorbed is
determined in joules. This absorbed energy is a
measure of the impact strength of the material.

4 Designations
The designations applicable to this standard are as
indicated in Table 1 and Figure 1 and Figure 2.
Table 1 Designations
Reference
(see Figure 1 and
Figure 2)

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12

Designation

Length of test piece

Height of test piece
Width of test piece
Height below notch
Angle of notch
Radius of curvature of
base of notch
Distance between anvils
Radius of anvils
Angle of taper of each
anvil
Angle of taper of striker
Radius of curvature of
striker
Width of striker
Energy absorbed by
breakage KU or KV

Unit

mm
mm
mm
mm
Degree
mm
mm
mm
Degree
Degree

a) V-notch of 45, 2 mm deep with a 0,25 mm

radius of curvature at base of notch.
If standard test pieces cannot be obtained from
the material, a reduced section test piece, with a
width of 7,5 mm or 5 mm (see Table 2) shall be
used, the notch being cut in one of the narrow
faces.
b) U-notch or keyhole notch, 5 mm deep, with
a 1 mm radius of curvature at base of notch.
The test pieces shall be machined all over, except in
the case of precision cast foundry test pieces in
which the two faces parallel to the plane of
symmetry of the notch can be unmachined.
5.3 The plane of symmetry of the notch shall be
perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the test
piece.
5.4 The tolerances on the specified dimensions of the
test piece shall be as given in Table 2.
5.5 Test pieces of widths other than those shown
in Table 2, for example, with the unmachined
widths equal to the thickness of the product, may be
used provided this is permitted in the relevant
product standard. Comparison of results, however,
is only of significance when made between test
pieces of the same form and dimensions.
5.6 Machining shall be carried out in such a way
that any alteration of the test piece, for example due
to cold working or heating, is minimized. The notch
shall be carefully prepared so that no grooves,
parallel to the base of the notch, are visible to the
naked eye.
The test piece may be marked on any face not in
contact with the supports or anvils and at a point at
least 5 mm from the notch to avoid the effects of cold
working due to marking.

6 Testing machine

mm
mm

6.1 The testing machine shall be constructed and

installed rigidly and shall be in accordance with
European Standard 10 045-2.

Joule

The values of the principal characteristics of the

testing machine are specified in Table 3.

1) In

preparation. Until this European Standard is published reference can be made to the corresponding national or
international standards, a list of which is given in annex A.

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EN 10 045-1:1990

6.2 Standard test conditions shall correspond to a

nominal machine energy of 300 10 J and the use of
a test piece of standard dimensions. The reported
absorbed energy under these conditions shall be
designated by the symbols:
KU for a U-notch test piece
KV for a V-notch test piece
for example:
KV = 121 J denotes:
nominal energy 300 J
standard V-notch test piece
energy absorbed during fracture: 121 J

6.3 Testing machines with different striking

energies are permitted, in which case the symbol
KU or KV shall be supplemented by an index
denoting the energy of the testing machine:
for example:
KV 150: available energy 150 J
KU 100: available energy 100 J
KU 100 = 65 J denotes:
nominal energy 100 J
standard U-notch test piece
energy absorbed during fracture: 65 J

Table 2 Tolerances on specified test piece dimensions

Designation

U-notch test piece

Nominal
dimension

Machining
tolerance

V-notch test piece

Nominal
dimension

Machining
tolerance

ISO symbola

Length

55 mm

Height

10 mm

ISO symbola

0,60 mm js 15
0,11 mm js 13

55 mm

10 mm

10 mm

0,60 mm js 15
0,60 mm js 12

Width:
standard test piece

10 mm

reduced section test piece

0,11 mm js 13

reduced section test piece

Angle of notch

7,5 mm
5 mm
45

0,11 mm js 13
0,11 mm js 13
0,06 mm js 12
2

Height below notch

5 mm

0,09 mm js 13

8 mm

0,06 mm js 12

Radius of curvature of base of

notch

1 mm

0,07 mm js 12

0,25 mm 0,025 mm

Distance of plane of symmetry

of notch from ends of test pieceb 27,5 mm

0,42 mm js 15

27,5 mm

0,42 mm js 15

Angle between plane of

symmetry of notch and
longitudinal axis of test piece

90

90

Angle between adjacent

longitudinal faces of test piece

90

90

a In accordance with ISO 286-1.

b For machines with automatic positioning of the test piece, it is recommended that the tolerance be taken as 0,165 mm instead
of 0,42 mm.

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EN 10 045-1:1990

Table 3 Characteristics of testing machine

Reference
(Figure 1)

Designation

Distance between
anvils

Radius of anvils

Angle of taper of each

anvil

Value
+ 0,2

40 0

+ 0,5

10

mm

mm

11 1

10

Angle of taper of striker 30 1

11

Radius at tip of striker

12

Maximum width of
striker

18 mm

Speed of striker at
instant of impact

5 m/s to 5,5 m/sa

Angle between the

support and the anvil

90 0,1

+ 0,5

20

mm

aFor machines manufactured prior to 1983, a speed of 4,5 m/s to

7 m/s is permissible by agreement.

6.4 For tests on a subsidiary V-notch test piece, the

KV symbol shall be supplemented by indices
denoting the first available energy of the testing
machine and second the width of the test piece, e.g.
KV 300/7,5: available energy 300 J, width of
test piece 7,5 mm
KV 150/5: available energy 150 J, width of test
piece 5 mm
KV 150/7,5 = 83 J denotes:
nominal energy 150 J
reduced section test piece of width 7,5 mm
energy absorbed during fracture: 83 J.

7 Test requirements
7.1 The test piece shall lie squarely against the
anvils in such a way that the plane of symmetry of
the notch shall be no more than 0,5 mm from the
plane of symmetry of the anvils. The test piece shall
lie on the supports in such a way that the tip of the
striker hits the side opposite the notch of the test
piece (see Figure 2).

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7.2 If the test temperature is not specified in the

relevant product standard, it shall be equal
to 23 C 5 C.
If the temperature is specified in the relevant
product standard without a tolerance, it shall be
adhered to to within 2 C.
For tests at temperatures other than ambient, the
test piece shall be immersed in the cooling or
heating medium for sufficient time to ensure that
the required temperature is reached throughout the
test piece (for example, at least 10 min in a liquid
medium or at least 30 min in a gaseous medium).
The test piece shall be broken within 5 seconds of
the time of removal from the medium.
The transfer device shall be designed and used in
such a way that the temperature of the test piece is
maintained within the temperature range
permitted.
7.3 If, during the test, the test piece is deformed but
not broken, the energy absorbed cannot be
determined. The test report shall state that the test
piece was not broken by x J.
NOTE It is emphasized that only results on test pieces of
identical dimensions should be compared. There is no general
method for converting the results obtained by one test method
into the values which would be obtained by another test method.

8 Test report
The test report shall include the following
information:
a) reference to this standard, i.e. EN 10 045-1;
b) the type and dimensions of the test piece;
c) identification of the test piece (grade, cast
no......);
d) direction and location of sampling where
known;
e) nominal energy of the striker;
f) test temperature, in degrees Celsius;
g) absorbed energy, KV or KU, in joules.

EN 10 045-1:1990

Figure 1 Charpy impact test

6

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EN 10 045-1:1990

Figure 2 Configuration of test piece supports and anvils

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EN 10 045-1:1990

Annex A List of national standards corresponding to the reference European

Standard in preparation
Until European Standard 10 045-2 has been prepared it is possible to refer to the corresponding national
standards, a list of which is given in Table 4.
Table 4 National standards corresponding to proposed European Standard
prEN

Corresponding national standard in

Germany

10045-2

DIN 51 306
1983

France

UK

NFA03-508-1985 BS 131-4:1972

Italy

Belgium

Sweden

ISO

442-1965

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BS EN 10 045-1:1990
National appendix A
The United Kingdom participation in the preparation of this European Standard was entrusted by the Iron
and Steel and the Non-ferrous Metals Standards Policy Committees (ISM/-and NFM/-) to Technical
Committee ISM/NFM/4 upon which the following bodies were represented:
Aluminium Federation
British Gas plc
British Non-Ferrous Metals Federation
British Railways Board
British Steel Industry
Copper Development Association
Department of Trade and Industry (National Engineering Laboratory)
Department of Trade and Industry (National Physical Laboratory)
Department of Trade and Industry (National Measurement Accreditation Service)
ERA Technology Ltd.
GAMBICA (BEAMA Ltd.)
Ministry of Defence
Society of British Aerospace Companies Limited
Welding Institute
The following bodies were also represented in the drafting of the standard, through subcommittees and
panels:
BCIRA
BEAMA Ltd.
Electricity Supply Industry in England and Wales
Lloyds Register of Shipping
Steel Casting Research and Trade Association
United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority

National appendix B
The British Standard corresponding to the ISO publication referred to in EN 10 045-1 is as follows:
International standard

British Standard

ISO 286-1-1988

BS 4500 ISO limits and fits

Section 1.1:1990 Specification for bases of tolerances, deviations and fits
(Identical)

A related British Standard to EN 10 045-22) referred to in EN 10 045-1 is BS 131 Methods for notched bar
tests: Part 4:1972 Calibration of pendulum impact testing machines for metals.

2) In

preparation.

BSI 12-1998