An Optimized Dynamic Tensile Impact Test for Characterizing the Behavior of Materials

This paper presents a new dynamic tensile test based on the Taylor impact technique for application on metallic materials. The Taylor impact test is a well-known technique to characterize the behavior of metallic materials in compression because it allows us to reach very high strain rates (105s−1). In this dynamic tensile test, we launch a projectile with an initial velocity into a specially designed target in order to generate tensile deformation in its central area. In this paper, the geometry of a tensile target previously published in our laboratory was modified and optimized to achieve higher plastic strains and strain rates without reaching the critical state of target failure. Numerical simulations and experimental tests validate the new geometry. Experimental tests have been performed with this new geometry to show the gains allowed. Numerical simulations by finite elements on Abaqus show the equivalent plastic deformations and elongation of the two versions of the targets and the correlation of these results with the tests.