A New Prediction Method for the Ultimate Tensile Strength of Steel Alloys with Small Punch Test

The load–deflection curve acquired from the Small Punch Test (SPT) is used to obtain the mechanical properties of materials using different correlation methods. The scattering level of these regressions tends to be high when a wide set of materials is analyzed. In this study, a correlation method based on a specific slope of the SPT curve was proposed to reduce scattering. Assuming the Ramberg–Osgood hardening law, the dependence of the SPT curve slope on the yield strength and the hardening coefficient is demonstrated by numerical simulations (FEM). Considering that the ultimate tensile strength could be obtained from the hardening coefficient, a response surface of the ultimate tensile strength with the yield strength and SPT curve slope, along with its equation, is presented for steel alloys. A summary of steel mechanical properties, based on the Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code (BPVC) and limited to yield strengths lower than 1300 MPa, is shown to select a set of experimental tests (tensile tests and SPTs) for which the range is completely covered. This experimental analysis validates the previous FEM analyses and the validity of the proposed correlation method, which shows more accurate correlations compared to the current methods.