Dynamic compressive properties of composites at interior ballistic rates of loading—Experimental method

An experimental method has been developed to investigate the dynamic effects on material behavior in a gun launch environment. A test fixture with a designed crashing mechanism generates a loading condition resulting from gun pressure. Methods of data acquisition and reduction have also been developed using a streak camera and a film digitization technique. The system is calibrated and verified by testing aluminum samples and fairly good results are obtained. Finally, polymer composite laminates with layup constructions of interest are tested. Strain rate effects on the compressive strength are discovered at the interior ballistic rates of loading.