Analytical Round-Robin Study of Brittle Fracture Toughness Datasets According to E399-20
SourceThis paper presents the results of a study that evaluated the efficacy of standardization according to ASTM E399-20 in terms of reproducible analysis—while excluding physical, experimental effects—and that developed datasets that could be used to verify analytical processes such as validity checking. Fifteen sets of raw test data were presented to a number of laboratories, and nine analysts returned results according to their interpretation of the then-current version of ASTM E399, using a variety of methods to determine and fit the linear region. Examination of these results demonstrates that the application of ASTM E3076, on linear slope fitting, significantly reduced the uncertainty caused by data processing. It also indicated that visual determination of the linear region has a higher risk of generating nonconservative results.