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Yamamoto, Masato*; Onizawa, Kunio; Yoshimoto, Kentaro*; Ogawa, Takuya*; Mabuchi, Yasuhiro*; Valo, M.*; Lambrecht, M.*; Viehrig, H.-W.*; Miura, Naoki*; Soneda, Naoki*
Small Specimen Test Techniques; 6th Volume (ASTM STP 1576), p.53 - 69, 2015/05
In order to ensure the robustness of the Master Curve technique, round-robin tests were performed using 0.16 inch-thick Mini-CT specimens by different investigators to see if consistent 
values can be obtained. All the specimens used were machined and pre-cracked by one fabricator from unique Japanese RPV material. Seven institutes participated in this exercise, and obtained valid values according to the ASTM E1921 standard. The scatter of values obtained was well within the uncertainty range defined in the standard, indicating the robustness of the Mini-CT specimen test technique. Throughout this activity, we could obtain 182 
for a single material. We investigated the statistics of this large database, and found that there is no remarkable difference not only in the values but also in the fracture toughness distribution between the Mini-CT specimen and the standard size 1T-C(T) specimen results.
under various selections of temperature conditionsYamamoto, Masato*; Kimura, Akihiko*; Onizawa, Kunio; Yoshimoto, Kentaro*; Ogawa, Takuya*; Mabuchi, Yasuhiro*; Viehrig, H.-W.*; Miura, Naoki*; Soneda, Naoki*
Proceedings of 2014 ASME Pressure Vessels and Piping Conference (PVP 2014) (DVD-ROM), 7 Pages, 2014/07
The Master Curve (MC) approach for the fracture toughness reference temperature To is expected to be a powerful tool to ensure the reliability of long-term used RPV steels. In order to get sufficient number of data for the MC approach related to the present surveillance program for RPVs, the use of miniature specimens is important. The test technique for the miniature specimens (Mini-CT) of 4 mm thick had been verified the basic applicability of MC approach by means of Mini-CT for the determination of fracture toughness of typical Japanese RPV steels. A round robin (RR) program was organized to assure the robustness of the technique. As the third step of RR program, blinded tests were carried out. Precise material information was not provided to the participants. From the results obtained, the scatter range in was within the acceptable scatter range specified in the testing standard. The selection of testing temperature seems to give limited effect like that in larger specimens.
Yamamoto, Masato*; Onizawa, Kunio; Yoshimoto, Kentaro*; Ogawa, Takuya*; Mabuchi, Yasuhiro*; Miura, Naoki*
Proceedings of 2013 ASME Pressure Vessels and Piping Conference (PVP 2013) (DVD-ROM), 8 Pages, 2013/07
Master Curve (MC) approach for the fracture toughness evaluation is expected to be a powerful tool to assess the structural integrity of reactor pressure vessels (RPVs). In order to get sufficient number of reliable data by the MC approach from used specimens of surveillance tests for RPVs, the use of miniature specimens is necessary. For this purpose, a round robin test program on the miniature compact tension specimens (Mini-CT) of 4 mm thick for the MC approach was launched with the participation of academia, industries and a research institute in Japan. The program aims to verify the reliability of experimental data from Mini-CT, and to pick out technical issues to be solved. As the second step of this program, the effect of loading rate (d/d
) was evaluated based on enlarged database. Despite of the difference in d/d, no specific difference in scatter band of 
was found in d/d - relationships. D/d seems not to be sensitive on scatter band of To in the present results.
