High strain rate responses of some metals and alloys using a plate impact driven ring expansion test (PIDRET)

Abstract

A plate impact driven ring expansion test (PIDRET) has been developed to investigate the high strain rate response of metals and alloys under radial expansion. Combining photonic Doppler velocimetry (PDV) probes and ultra-high-speed cameras, it allows for measuring the radial expansion velocity of the ring and for recording the different stages of the ring deformation until necking and ultimate fragmentation. Four metallic materials with different physical and mechanical properties are tested under the same loading conditions leading to strain rates around 104 s−1. The materials exhibit different responses in terms of deformation history and fracture. A comparison is made on (i) the postmortem microstructure and ductility between low strain rate tension loaded specimens and high-strain rate expansion loaded rings and (ii) numbers of necks and fragments between experimental results and theoretical estimations.