Impact failure and fragmentation properties of tungsten carbide

Abstract

Samples of a liquid-phase sintered tungsten carbide were prepared in the form of solid spheres and launched with a light-gas gun facility to impact velocities ranging over about 2–4 km/s. Spherical samples were caused to impact thin plates of low density non-metallic material (fused silica glass and PMMA plastic in the present tests) and undergo failure and dynamic fragmentation due to the impulsive load. Impulse intensities led to incipient failure at the lowest impact velocities to extremely intense particulation and debris dispersion at the highest impact velocities. Flash radiography was used to image the failed specimens in flight at several stations. Only the ceramic debris was imaged in the radiographs because of the low density of the impact plate materials. From the onset and extent of fragmentation and the velocities of debris dispersion, failure and fragmentation properties of the test ceramic were inferred. Supporting shock Hugoniot and tensile spall data were also acquired on the same tungsten carbide material, providing a broad base of dynamic properties data for analysis purposes on this solid (Grady [1]). Results of the dynamic tests and material properties acquired on the present tungsten carbide ceramic are presented in this report.