ASTM E23-25 PDF

Full title and description

ASTM E23-25 — Standard Test Methods for Notched Bar Impact Testing of Metallic Materials. This standard specifies procedures for notched-bar impact testing using Charpy (simple-beam) and Izod (cantilever-beam) methods, including specimen configurations, machine verification, test procedures, and reporting requirements to determine absorbed energy and fracture appearance for metallic materials.

Abstract

ASTM E23-25 defines accepted laboratory practices for performing Charpy and Izod notched-bar impact tests on metallic materials. It covers specimen dimensions and preparation, notch types, instrumentation and calibration of pendulum impact testers, temperature control for tests, criteria for assessing shear fracture appearance, and required elements of test reports. The standard is intended to provide reproducible, comparable toughness measurements that can be correlated with service performance and fracture behavior.

General information

• Status: Active standard.
• Publication date: April 1, 2025 (E23-25 edition approved 2025).
• Publisher: ASTM International.
• ICS / categories: 77.040.10 — Mechanical testing of metals (impact testing / toughness measurement).
• Edition / version: E23-25 (2025 edition).
• Number of pages: 27 pages (standard text as published in the 2025 edition).

Details above (status, publication date, publisher, ICS and page count) reflect the official 2025 edition information as published by ASTM and major standards distributors.

Scope

This standard describes notched-bar impact testing of metallic materials by the Charpy and Izod methods. It provides requirements for specimen types and orientations, notch preparation, test temperatures (note: it does not address testing below −196 °C / 77 K), verification and calibration of impact machines, optional specimen configurations, and methods for determining shear fracture appearance and center-of-strike measurement. SI units are primary; inch-pound units appear in specified sections/annexes for information only.

Key topics and requirements

• Charpy V‑notch and Izod notch specimen geometries and tolerance requirements.
• Specimen orientation and designation (referenced terminology for orientation and fracture descriptors).
• Procedure for performing impact tests at specified temperatures, including conditioning and temperature measurement.
• Verification, calibration, and acceptance checks for pendulum impact testers (machine verification procedures and reference specimens/verification blocks).
• Methods for assessing and reporting shear fracture appearance and the percent shear on broken specimens.
• Required content of test reports: specimen ID and orientation, notch type, test temperature, absorbed energy, lateral expansion/lateral displacement where applicable, and any deviations from the method.

These topics and procedural requirements are drawn from the clauses and annexes of the 2025 E23 edition and accompanying normative references.

Typical use and users

ASTM E23-25 is used by metallurgical and materials testing laboratories, quality assurance and control departments, materials engineers, product designers, suppliers of metallic components, certification and compliance bodies, and research institutions. Typical applications include material qualification, batch acceptance testing, evaluation of temperature-dependent toughness (ductile-to-brittle transition), welding procedure qualification, and forensic fracture investigations.

Related standards

Commonly referenced and related standards include ASTM E1823 (terminology relating to fatigue and fracture testing), E2298 (instrumented impact testing methods), and other ASTM practices for test precision and machine verification (for example E177, E691 and relevant material-specific standards). These related documents provide terminology, precision/bias practices, and complementary methods used alongside E23.

Keywords

Charpy, Izod, notched bar, impact test, pendant/pendulum tester, absorbed energy, brittle fracture, shear fracture appearance, specimen notch, impact machine verification, material toughness.

FAQ

Q: What is this standard?

A: ASTM E23-25 is the 2025 edition of the Standard Test Methods for Notched Bar Impact Testing of Metallic Materials, defining Charpy and Izod impact test procedures and related requirements for metallic materials.

Q: What does it cover?

A: It covers specimen types and preparation, notch geometry, test procedures at controlled temperatures, machine verification and calibration, measurement and reporting of absorbed energy and fracture appearance, and related annexes and appendices for verification and measurement methods.

Q: Who typically uses it?

A: Materials testing laboratories, metallurgists, materials and mechanical engineers, manufacturers and suppliers of metallic products, certification bodies, and researchers use E23 for toughness and impact-resistance testing and qualification.

Q: Is it current or superseded?

A: The E23-25 edition (2025) is the current active edition that supersedes earlier editions (for example E23-24). Users should confirm they hold the 2025 edition for the up-to-date requirements and annex changes.

Q: Is it part of a series?

A: E23 is part of ASTM Committee E28 work on mechanical testing; it references and is used together with related ASTM standards and practices (terminology, precision/bias practices, instrumented impact methods, and machine verification standards) rather than being a numbered series of sequential parts.

Q: What are the key keywords?

A: Charpy, Izod, notched-bar, impact testing, absorbed energy, shear fracture, pendulum impact tester, machine verification, material toughness.