Efrem Vitali

PARTICLE SIZE EFFECT IN GRANULAR COMPOSITE ALUMINUM/TUNGSTEN

Compressive dynamic strength and fracture pattern of Al‐W granular composites with an identical weight ratio of Al (23.8 wt%) and W (76.2 wt%) with different porosities, size and shape of W component were investigated at strain rates 1000–1500 l/s. Samples were fabricated by Cold Isostatic Pressing. A dynamic strength of composites with fine W particles (100 MPa) was significantly larger than the strength of composite with the coarse W particles (75 MPa) at the same porosity 26% (samples with porosity 15% with coarse W particles exhibited a higher strength of 175 MPa). Morphology of W inclusions had a strong effect on dynamic strength. Samples with W wires arranged in axial direction (diameter 100 microns) and porosity 16%) with the same volume content of components had a dynamic strength of 350 MPa. Dynamic behavior was numerically simulated using computer code Raven, demonstrating a strain hardening effect due to in situ densification which was observed experimentally for cold isostatically pressed Al and Al‐coarse W powders.

Shear stress behavior in mesoscale simulations of granular materials

3D mesoscale simulations of shock propagation in porous solids and powders have been performed with the Eulerian hydrocode GEODYN. The results indicate that voids can have a profound effect on the stress state in the material behind the shock front. The simulations can explain experimentally observed wave profiles that are difficult to interpret in the context of the classical elastic-plastic theory. In particular, a quasielastic precursor is observed in reshock simulations. This effect persists even at extremely low porosity values, down to 0.1% by volume. Stress relaxation is pronounced in simulations involving wave propagation, but is not observed in uniform ramp loading. In this sense, the relaxation phenomenon is non-local in nature and classic continuum models are inadequate for its description. Simulations show that the response of highly porous powders is dominated by deviatoric stress relaxation in the shock regime. We propose an enhancement which can be easily integrated into most existing porou...