Spallation studies in Estane Available to Purchase

Data are presented for the spall fracture of Estane. Estane has been studied previously to determine its low-pressure Hugoniot properties and high-rate viscoelastic response [J.N. Johnson, J.J. Dick and R.S. Hixson, J. Appl. Phys. 84, 2520–2529, 1998]. These results are used in the current analysis of spall fracture data for this material. Calculations are carried out with the characteristics code CHARADE and the finite-difference code FIDO. Comparison of model calculations with experimental data show the onset of spall failure to occur when the longitudinal stress reaches approximately 130 MPa in tension. At this point complete material separation does not occur, but rather the tensile strength in the material falls to approximately one-half the value at onset, as determined by CHARADE calculations. Finite-difference calculations indicate that the standard void-growth model (used previously to describe spall in metals) gives a reasonable approximation to the dynamic failure process in Estane. [Research supported by the USDOE under contract W-7405-ENG-36]