PSI - Issue 53

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C.T. Duarte et al. / Procedia Structural Integrity 53 (2024) 299–308 Duarte et al./ Structural Integrity Procedia 00 (2023) 000–000

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Fig. 2. Scheme of AM part specimens: (a) tensile; (b) flexural.

2.3 Ageing The samples were deployed at the same Submarine Observatory as the SAASS. The Observatories were installed in the areas providing access to the main ports that support maritime activities in the Pre-Salt region at an approximate depth of 19 to 25 meters, depending on the Service Order, considering a tide variation of +/- one meter as measured by divers, as shown in Fig. 3.

Fig. 3. Submarine Observatory: (a) before installation; (b) after installation.

2.4 Tests The tensile and flexural tests were conducted using an Instron 5966 universal testing machine (Norwood, Massachusetts, USA). Tensile tests were performed according to ASTM D3039 standard at a rate of 1 mm/min using a 10 kN load cell (Fig. 4). For the flexural tests, a three-point bending device with a span of 120 mm was used. The displacement rate employed was 1 mm/min, and a 1 kN load cell was used, as specified by the ASTM D790 standard. Load-displacement curves were recorded for each case. A minimum of 5 samples were tested for each unaged case, and 7 samples for each aged case, in both tensile and flexural tests.