Studies of Artificial Cracks at Simulated Rocket Motor Liners by the Frozen Stress Method

Two types of bimaterial specimens, one consisting of two photoelastic materials with different critical temperatures (Type A) and one consisting of a photoelastic material with and without aluminum powder (the powder added to alter the modulus of elasticity without changing the critical temperature (Type B)) are constructed by bonding two halves of the dissimilar materials together. Each type of specimen contains an artificial edge crack along the bond line and loaded normal to the bond line. After evaluating the two specimen types by measuring the variation of the Mode I stress intensity distribution through the specimen thickness, Type B was selected as a superior model and its features studied in detail.