Dynamic Fracture Tests Research Articles

Crack arrest characteristics and dynamic fracture parameters of moving cracks encountering double holes under impact loads

Brittle materials such as rock or concrete contain a large number of micro-cracks, voids, and other defects. Under external impacting loads, the interaction between fissures and holes affects the bearing capacity and stability of Engineering structures. To study the interaction mechanism between moving cracks and circular holes, a large-size semi-circular notched with a fissure and double circular hole (SNFDH) specimen was suggested in this research, and the dynamic fracture tests were carried out on the SNFDH specimens with different double circular hole spacing (35 mm, 40 mm, 45 mm, 50 mm, 55 mm, 60 mm, and 70 mm) using a drop hammer impact test device. Crack propagation gauges were employed to track the time and velocity at which the crack propagated along its trajectory. Dynamic Drucker-Prager yield criterion and cumulative damage failure criterion were used in the numerical simulation of the SNFDH concrete materials. The program AUTODYN was employed to simulate the crack growth characteristics when a crack encounters the double hole. The program ABAQUS was applied to calculate the dynamic fracture parameters of cracks. The test results manifest that the crack propagating trajectory has three different characteristics according to the double hole spacing; the double circular hole has an arresting function for a moving crack; the size of the double hole spacing has a significant effect on the crack propagating velocity, crack propagating length, dynamic stress intensity factor and dynamic energy release rate; the configuration of the SNFDH specimen can be used to investigate the crack arrest mechanism when moving crack encountering double holes.

Dynamic mechanical behaviours of frozen rock under sub-zero temperatures and dynamic loads

Dynamic mechanical behaviours of frozen rocks are essential for dealing with the design and stability of various engineering structures in cold regions. A dynamic-cryogenic testing system integrated with high-speed Digital Image Correlation (DIC) is adopted to investigate the dynamic mechanical behaviours of rock subjected to ambient room and sub-zero temperatures, along with high-rate loading. Dynamic compression, tensile and Mode I dynamic fracture tests were performed at 20, -20, −50 and −70 °C using dry and saturated sandstone from Yulong Copper Mine at high-altitude cold region. A DIC-based approach using pixel-based virtual extensometers is proposed to accurately capture the real-time cracking speed with high precision. The proportion of ice and unfrozen water in rock pores across various temperatures is quantified using the nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) method. The results indicate significant temperature and rate dependencies in dynamic fracture toughness, crack propagation velocity, dynamic tensile strength, dynamic compressive strength, and failure modes; These parameters exhibit an increase with decreasing ambient temperature as unfrozen water transitions into ice, demonstrating the frozen effect of ice filling pores, supporting the rock skeleton, and bonding ice-rock interfaces. With decreasing temperature, crack branching becomes more pronounced in dynamic notched semi-circular bending (NSCB) tests. Additionally, dynamically compressed frozen rocks tend to transition from pulverization (Type II) to splitting (Type I) with multiple elongations, attributed to the strengthening effect. The findings elucidate the failure mechanisms observed in a higher proportion of larger blast blocks and hold valuable implications for blasting designs and dynamic disaster prevention in cold regions.

A Study on Crack Initiation and Propagation of Welded Joints under Explosive Load

Welded joints in naval ship hull structures are weak areas under explosive load, but there are relatively few studies investigating the failure characteristics of welded joints through dynamic fracture and explosion tests. In order to explore and predict the failure characteristics of welded joints under explosive load, instrumented Charpy impact tests, explosion tests, and numerical simulations were carried out. The dynamic fracture toughness of ultra-high strength ship hull structural steel welded joints was obtained, and the dynamic stress intensity factors, together with the correlation between stress wave and crack propagation at different positions, were acquired. The results showed that the stress state at the crack tip of a Charpy impact specimen was consistent with that of a welded joint under explosive loads, and the crack initiated when the dynamic stress intensity factor exceeded the dynamic fracture toughness. The results indicated that the dynamic fracture toughness obtained by instrumented Charpy impact tests could be used to predict the crack initiation characteristics of welded structures under explosive load, and the stress wave at the crack tip was basically perpendicular to the crack propagation surface and promoted the rapid propagation of cracks.

Deterioration of dynamic fracture properties of granite under the coupled effects of hydrochemical solutions and freeze-thaw cycles

Fractured rock mass is a kind of complex rock mass widely existing in engineering projects, which is often subjected to erosion by different pH hydrochemical solutions such as surface water, acid rain, acidic and alkaline wastewater discharge, and deicing salts. When the rock project in a cold region suffers from the coupled effects of hydrochemical solutions and freeze-thaw (FT) cycles, the frost-heave-thaw-shrinkage characteristics of rocks are different from ordinary FT under dynamic loads, and the effect of FT cycles may be enlarged or reduced in different hydrochemical solutions. How to determine the effect of FT cycles on the expansion and changes of rock fractures, which is related to the safety and stability of many engineering rock masses in cold regions. In this study, the microstructure changes of specimens induced by hydrochemical solutions and cyclic FT were measured using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The dynamic fracture tests were conducted using single cleavage triangle (SCT) granite specimens. Crack propagation gauge (CPG) was applied to examine crack propagation speed (CPS). The findings indicate that the mineral composition of the granite did not vary large with the hydrochemical solutions and FT cycles, but the maximum diffraction intensity of each mineral composition changed. For the granite under the coupling effect of hydrochemical solutions and FT cycles, the granite specimen in NaOH solution with 100 FT cycles has the highest dynamic fracture toughness and is 10.76 MPa·m1/2, dynamic fracture toughness of H2O, HNO3 and Na2SO4 solutions are only 0.94, 0.91 and 0.93 of that of NaOH solution. With increasing FT cycle times, the dynamic fracture toughness and crack speed decrease, whereas the porosity increases. For the specimen in NaOH solution and 100 FT cycles, dynamic fracture toughness decreased by 18.12 % without FT cycles and crack speed decreased by 34.18 %, the porosity increases by 26.42 %.

Processing–microstructure–fracture toughness relationships in PP/EPDM/SiO2 blend‐nanocomposites: Effect of mixing sequence

AbstractThis study investigates the mechanical properties and fracture behavior of polypropylene (PP)‐based blend‐nanocomposites comprising 30 wt.% ethylene–propylene–diene monomer (EPDM) and 5 wt.% SiO2 nanoparticles. Different mixing sequences were employed to prepare the nanocomposites, and the resulting morphology development and dispersion states of modifiers were analyzed. Mechanical performance of the nanocomposites was evaluated through quasi‐static and high‐speed dynamic fracture tests. The dispersion and distribution of SiO2 nanoparticles within the nanocomposites were significantly influenced by the mixing protocol. In impact fracture tests, the presence of nanoparticles exhibited a beneficial efffect on fracture energy, demonstrating a synergistic toughening effect of the soft EPDM and rigid SiO2 particles. Conversely, adverse effects were observed in quasi‐static tests. Essential work of fracture (EWF) parameters indicated an increase in the yielding component and a decrease in the necking‐to‐tearing component with SiO2 incorporation into the PP/EPDM blends. During impact loadings, the highest improvement in crack propagation resistance was observed in nanocomposites with nanoparticles localized around the rubbery domains forming a network‐like structure of EPDM/SiO2‐nanoparticles. Morphologies where rubber domains and nanoparticles were separately distributed in the PP matrix resulted in the lowest fracture parameters. Energy dissipation mechanisms were elucidated, revealing multiple void formation followed by matrix shear yielding as the primary source under both quasi‐static and impact fracture conditions. In the latter case, stress‐concentrating percolated structures in the PP matrix facilitated the nucleation of dilatational bands evolving into highly stretched void‐fibrillar structures upon further loading. These findings contribute valuable insights into tailoring nanocomposite morphologies for enhanced mechanical performance in different loading scenarios.Highlights Fracture behavior of PP/EPDM/SiO2 ternary systems was evaluated by EWF methodology and Izod impact test. Rubber particles surrounded by silica nanoparticles led to a percolated morphology and as a result to superior impact resistance. EWF parameters were mostly controlled by the tearing‐related parts regardless of phase morphology. The impact toughness was mainly controlled by the dispersion and distribution characteristics of the SiO2 nanoparticles.

Dynamic fracture properties and criterion of cyclic freeze-thaw treated granite subjected to mixed-mode loading

Rock masses in high-elevation or cold regions are vulnerable to the combined effects of freeze-thaw (F-T) weathering and dynamic mixed-mode loading, posing a serious threaten to the safety and stability of geotechnical engineering. In this study, a series of dynamic fracture tests were conducted on notched semi-circular bend (NSCB) granite specimens subjected to different mixed-mode loading and F-T cycles using a split Hopkinson pressure bar (SHPB) test system. The effects of F-T treatment and dynamic mixed-mode loading on the fracture properties of granite, including effective fracture toughness, progressive fracture process, and macroscopic morphology of fracture surface, were comprehensively revealed. The experimental results suggest that the dynamic effective fracture toughness of NSCB specimens is dependent on the loading rate, particularly when the mode I loading is dominant. Additionally, the fracture toughness decreases as the number of F-T cycles increases, with an inflection point at 30 F-T cycles. All granite specimens subjected to mixed-mode loading exhibit a curved fracture path, with faster crack propagation speed and more fine cracks in specimens exposed to higher F-T cycles. Macroscopic morphology of fracture surface obtained using three-dimensional (3D) scanning indicates that the fractal dimension of the fracture surface increases with increasing F-T cycles, and the increment is more pronounced for specimens subjected to a higher mode II loading component. Moreover, this study compared the fracture resistance of F-T treated granite subjected to dynamic mixed loading using the maximum tangential stress (MTS) criterion and the generalized maximum tangential stress-based semi-analytical (SA-GMTS) criterion. Compared with the MTS criterion, the SA-GMTS criterion shows a more reasonable consistency with the experimental results, with a root mean square error within ±7%.

A new technique to measure the dynamic fracture toughness of solids

We propose and assess a new experimental technique to measure the fracture toughness of engineering materials and its sensitivity to strain rate. The proposed method is based on a ring expansion technique and it overcomes the limitations of current dynamic fracture tests, as it is not affected by transient stress wave propagation during loading and it results in spatially uniform remote stress and strain fields prior to fracture; the method is also suitable to achieve remote strain rates well in excess of 1000 s−1. We demonstrate the technique by measuring the plane-stress Mode I fracture toughness of PMMA specimens at remote strain rates ranging from 10−3 s−1 to 102 s−1. The experiments show an increase of the toughness of the material with increasing strain rate.

Loading rate effect on mixed-mode I + II fracture of V-notched Brazilian disc rock specimen under impact loads

Dynamic failure processes of rock masses containing numerous discontinuities including pores, cracks and notches have been the major issues in structural safeties of underground buildings subjected to impact loads, such as earthquake, blast and vehicle vibration. At present, most of the studies are focused on the dynamic fracture behaviors of rocks containing crack-like defects, while the studies on rocks containing notch-type defects are very rare, especially under mixed-mode loading conditions. This paper aims to study the effects of loading rate on mixed-mode I + II fracture characteristics of flattened V-notched Brazilian disc rock specimen under impact loads by means of an split Hopkinson pressure bar (SHPB) system combined with a high-speed camera. Dynamic fracture tests were performed on a total of 125 groups of V-notched rock specimens with different notch angles (0°, 30°, 45°, 60°, and 90°) and loading angles (0°, 30°, 45°, 60°, and 90°) at different air pressures (0.16 MPa, 0.18 MPa, 0.20 MPa, 0.22 MPa, and 0.24 MPa). Based on dimensional analysis, a numerical method was proposed to establish the relationship between mixed-mode notch stress intensity factor (NSIF) at the V-notch tip and external axial load. The dynamic notch fracture toughness values of flattened V-notched Brazilian disc rock specimens were calculated from the maximum values of dynamic force in the SHPB tests according to the proposed numerical method. The effects of loading rate, notch angle, and loading angle on the mixed-mode I + II notch fracture toughness value and crack initiation angle were quantitatively analyzed, which were verified using a modified maximum tangential stress (MTS) criterion by considering the loading rate effect. It is found that the loading rate has a significantly positive effect on the notch fracture toughness value, but has a negative effect on the crack initiation angle due to the inertial effect under dynamic impact loads. Generally, pure mode I fracture occurs for the loading angle of 0° or 90°, pure mode II fracture occurs for the loading angle varying from 35° to 45°, and mixed-mode fracture occurs for other loading angles. Good consistencies of the mixed-mode I + II notch fracture toughness values and crack initiation angles of the V-notched rock specimens are observed between the modified MTS criterion prediction and experimental results. This work may improve the understanding of the dynamic fracture behaviors of rock masses containing notch-type defects during tunnel excavation and underground construction process.

Experimental Study on the Dynamic Fracture Characteristics of Mortar-Rock Interface Zones with Different Interface Inclinations and Shapes.

There has been little research on the impact resistance of mortar-rock slope protection structures. To ensure that the mortar-rock interface has good adhesion properties under the action of impact loading, in this paper, based on fracture mechanics theory, a theoretical impact model was established for mortar-rock binary material. Dynamic fracture tests were carried out on mortar-rock interfaces using the split-Hopkinson pressure bar (SHPB) system. The Brazilian disc (CSTBD) specimen was prepared with one half in granite and the other half in mortar. The specimen used for the dynamic impact test was 48 mm in diameter and 25 mm thick. The effects caused by the change in interface inclination and interface shape on the dynamic fracture mode were discussed. The dynamic model parameters were obtained for different inclination angles and interfaces. The results show that both the interface inclination and interface shape have significant effects on the dynamic mechanical properties of the mortar-rock binary material. The fracture modes of the mortar-rock specimens can be classified into three types. When the interface inclination is 0°, the specimen shows shear damage with an interface fracture; when the interface inclination is in the range of 0-90°, the dynamic splitting strength of the mortar-rock material increases with increasing interface inclination, and the interface undergoes composite fracture; and when the interface inclination is 90°, the dynamic splitting strength of the specimen reaches its peak, and the interface undergoes tensile fracture. The mortar-rock interface damage follows the M-C criterion. The roughness of the interface shape has a large influence on the dynamic splitting strength of the specimens. The rougher the interface shape, the higher the interface cleavage strength and the higher the peak load that causes the material to damage. The results of this study can provide a reference for the design of mortar-rubble structures to meet the demand for impact resistance and have strong engineering application value.

The influence of circular cavity on the characteristics of dynamic crack propagation in rocks using a single notch triangle approach

We used a novel single-notch triangle (SNT) sample to conduct dynamic fracture tests and investigate the effect of a circular cavity on the dynamic fracture mechanisms that occur in fractured rock masses subjected to a single crack under dynamic loads. Dynamical loads were applied with a drop hammer weight device. A modified finite difference method code was developed to simulate the dynamic cracking behavior of SNT samples under the action of impact loading. Next, we calculated the maximum principal stress and circumferential stress around the circular cavity and investigated dynamic crack initiation toughness (DCIT) by applying both experimental and numerical approaches. We also investigated the mechanisms that occur in the circular cavity with regards to the initiation of dynamic cracking and the cracking behavior by applying numerical models. Analysis demonstrated that the circular cavity promotes cracking initiation behavior and that the most significant impact was detected at a horizontal offset distance of 15 mm. Furthermore, the crack initiation time and DCIT were used effectively to evaluate the dynamic stability of cracks. However, the DCIT is accurate parameter for investigating how a mass of fractured rock changes according to different dynamic loads. We found that the roughness of the fractured surface around the crack tip was more significant than that of the fractured surface behind the circular cavity; this demonstrated that the circular cavity enhanced the energy consumed during crack propagation.

Study on mode I dynamic fracture characteristics with a mini three-point bending specimen for the split Hopkinson bar technique

In recent years, dynamic fracture experimental techniques have been developed rapidly in the field of engineering and scientific research. However, there still exist some difficulties in dynamic fracture tests, such as the limitation of loading rate, the accuracy of transmitted wave, the difficulty of crack initiation, and etc. To solve such problems, a novel mode I dynamic fracture experimental technique is proposed in this work, with a mini three-point bending(3PB) specimen and two kinds of fixtures specially designed for the split Hopkinson pressure bar (SHPB) system. In this method, the dynamic stress intensity factor curve (DSIF) is obtained by the experimental-numerical method, and the crack initiation time is determined by the strain gauge method. To verify the feasibility and reliability of the proposed method, the dynamic fracture toughness (DFT) of two kinds of ultra-high-strength steel (UHSS) is determined by this new method and then compared with the results of other methods. Meanwhile, the loading rate effect of fracture toughness, the size effect of crack initiation time and the failure mechanisms of the two materials under mode I fracture are also studied. The results show that fracture toughness depends on the energy consumed to form two types of fracture regions within the fracture initiation time. This work provides a new method for studies of the dynamic fracture behaviors of brittle solids.

Mixed mode I/II fracture behavior and surface morphology of hard rock under dynamic loading

To investigate the dynamic mixed mode I/II fracture properties of hard rock, split-Hopkinson pressure bar (SHPB) was utilized to conduct dynamic fracture tests on cracked straight through Brazilian disc (CSTBD) diorite specimens with different mode mixities. The dynamic fracture load and fracture toughness for different crack angles or mode mixities were determined. The dynamic fracture process and crack mouth opening displacement (CMOD) of CSTBD specimens were monitored by high-speed camera and digital image correlation (DIC) technique, and the fractal and morphology characteristics of fracture surfaces were further analyzed using laser 3D scanner and scanning electron microscope (SEM). The test results indicate that the dynamic CMOD behavior is interrelated closely to the force acting on the crack surface, and the allowable CMOD corresponding to the dynamic peak load decreases with increasing crack angle. In addition, the stress-based and strain-based fracture criteria were introduced to analyze the mixed mode fracture mechanism of diorite. It is found that the GMTS criterion with small fracture process zone (FPZ) size and the EMTSN criterion have the best prediction effect for fracture toughness and crack initiation angle respectively. Observation results show that the macro fracture trajectories of primary cracks and secondary cracks are controlled by the prefabricated crack angle, while the variation in mode mixity has little impact on the meso-roughness and micro-morphology of the fracture surface. The fracture surface of CSTBD diorite specimen under dynamic load exhibits the SEM morphology features of mixed tensile-shear cracks.

Experimental study on effect of freeze-thaw cycles on dynamic mode-Ι fracture properties and microscopic damage evolution of sandstone

The investigation of dynamic fracture characteristics of sandstone after freeze-thaw (F-T) treatments is of great significance for the optimization of blasting parameters and stability analysis of rock masses engineering in cold or high-elevation regions. In the present study, the P-wave velocity, porosity, T2 spectrum curve, and micromorphology of sandstone specimen after different F-T cycles were measured using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) techniques. The F-T damage factor was defined according to the reduction in wave impedance. Moreover, the dynamic mode-Ι fracture test was carried out using notched semicircular bend (NSCB) sandstone specimen. Meanwhile, the fracture process of NSCB specimen was captured by adopting a high-speed photography system. Test results show that F-T cycles can irreversibly deteriorate the microscopic pore structure and the cementation between mineral particles, which is manifested by an increase in the proportion of macropores and mesopores. The dynamic fracture pattern of sandstone specimen is affected by the coupling of F-T cycle number and loading pressure. Furthermore, the dynamic fracture toughness of sandstone constantly increases with the increase of loading rate at a specified F-T cycle number, while the F-T cycle treatment has a significant weakening effect. There has a negative exponential correlation between dynamic fracture toughness and F-T damage factor.

Dynamic mode I fracture properties of saturated white sandstone under ambient sub-zero temperatures

Dynamic fracture properties of frozen rocks are essential for better designs of rock engineering infrastructures in cold regions. Thus, a dynamic-cryogenic testing system combined with a high-speed camera is adopted to conduct dynamic tests under ambient room and sub-zero temperatures (20 °C, −10 °C, −20 °C, and −30 °C). A porous white sandstone (WS) is used to fabricate notched semi-circle bend (NSCB) specimens for mode I dynamic fracture tests. The percentage of ice and unfrozen water in rock pores under different temperatures is quantified using the nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) method. For comparison purpose, dry specimens are also tested under the same ambient temperatures. The results show that the dynamic fracture toughness (DFT) for two sets of specimens all show obvious rate dependency. Except for −30 °C, DFTs of dry specimens are marginally influenced by the sub-zero temperatures. On the contrary at a given loading rate, DFT of frozen saturated specimens first drops to the lowest value at −10 °C before further increasing with the dropping ambient temperature. Compared with dry specimens, saturated specimens show lower DFTs and crack propagation velocities that are quantified with the digital image correlation (DIC) method. The experimental results are explained invoking the rock weakening and enhancing mechanisms of the ice and unfrozen water mixture in rock pores. These results are useful to blasting designs in cold areas.

Optimization for dynamic compression and fracture test of propellant charge

The excessive fracture of propellant charge is the key to reveal the breech blow caused by propellant charge. The dynamic compression and fracture test of propellant charge is the only existing simulation approach to reproduce the propellant charge fracture process under launch environment. However, the simulation of the compression stress of propellant charge is essentially a process with trial and error, meantime, the dispersion of the compression stress obtained under the constant experiment condition is a stumbling block in launch safety research. To solve them, this paper attempts to establish a regression model of compression stress of propellant charge through several machine learning methods, and then the optimal model with high generalization ability is demonstrated by experiment. On account of the distribution test of model error, this method can predict the compression stress test results as well as the corresponding range with high confidence. Overall, this method makes it feasible to provide an effective reference for test conditions to acquire the target compression stress of propellant charge, which can significantly optimize the dynamic compression and fracture test of propellant charge and shorten the research cycle.

Analysis on affecting factors of the fragmentation degree of propellant charge

It has been demonstrated in theory and experiments that the breech blow caused by the propellant charge is almost due to the propellant charge fracture. This paper discusses and analyses the effects of temperatures (-40°C, 15°C, 50°C) and packing patterns (random, horizontals and verticals) on fragmentation degree of propellant charge under the given impacting load condition, through utilizing the dynamic compression and fracture test of propellant charge as well as initial dynamic vivacity of propellant charge. The test results reveals that the propellant charge at -40°C has a largest fragmentation degree than other temperatures. Moreover, the fragmentation degree of the propellant charge packed vertically is also larger than horizontal and random packing patterns. The fragmentation degrees of various random packing have no significant differences. This test of launch safety of propellant charge can be repeated easily, which is verified scientific.

Experimental study on the energy evolution law during crack propagation of cracked rock mass under impact loads

Rock dynamic fracture is usually accompanied by numerous energy loss, to reveal energy evolution laws during rock dynamic fracture, the single cleavage triangle (SCT) specimens made by two types of sandstone are implemented to conduct dynamic fracture tests by using the split Hopkinson pressure bar (SHPB) device. The dynamic stress distribution law and the energy evolution law can be obtained according to the strain history of cracked rock mass subjected to impact loads. Crack propagation gauges (CPG) were applied to measure crack propagation speed, dynamic stress intensity factor (DSIF) and dynamic energy release rate can be determined by using an experimental–numerical method with the help of the software COSMOL. The experimental results show a physical pseudo-healing of the crack due to the short closure of the crack after its arrest under impact loads. The crack propagation speed and the DSIF show a certain oscillatory with the increase of crack length, the DSIFs at crack initiation are 0.2 ∼ 0.8 of the maximum value. The history of dissipated energy has a slow decrease after they reach a peak during 300 μs ∼ 350 μs, whose curves after the peak contain two stages: stage I is that the absorbed energy of the SCT specimen is mainly transformed into the transmitted energy; stage II is that it will be reflected energy. The input energy overtakes the consumed energy by new crack formation to drive the crack propagation and the test results of sandstone specimens show that 2.11 ‰ to 4.44 ‰ dissipated energy is implemented to drive crack propagation. The energy and stress are released more significantly around the crack tip before the crack arrest.

Determination of dynamic mode I fracture toughness of rock at ambient high temperatures using notched semi-circular bend method

To investigate the influence of loading rate and high temperature on the dynamic fracture toughness of rock, dynamic fracture tests were carried out on notched semi-circular bend specimens under four temperature conditions based on the split Hopkinson pressure bar system. Experimental and analytical methods were applied to investigating the effect of temperature gradient on the stress waves. A high-speed camera was used to check the fracture characteristics of the specimens. The results demonstrate that the temperature gradient on the bars will not significantly distort the shape of the stress wave. The dynamic force balance is achieved even when the specimens are at a temperature of 400 °C. The dynamic fracture toughness linearly develops with the increase of loading rate within the temperature range of 25−400 °C, and high temperature has a strengthening effect on the dynamic fracture toughness.

Loading rate effect and failure mechanisms of ultra-high-strength steel under mode II fracture

40Cr and 30CrMnSiNi2A are both ultra-high-strength steel (UHSS) that is usually used in engineering structures such as aircraft landing gear, wing girder, and fastening bolts. Under dynamic loading, fracture properties of such materials are very important for structural design. A novel mode II dynamic fracture testing technique is adopted to study the mode II dynamic fracture characteristics of these two materials under high loading rates. The mode II dynamic fracture specimen is designed for the SHPB equipment, and the stress intensity factor curve at the crack tip is determined by an experimental-numerical method. The crack initiation time of the specimen is determined by the strain gage method. In the end, the mode II dynamic fracture toughness (KIId) of the two materials is obtained, and the loading rate effects are compared and analyzed in detail. The results show that within the loading rate range of this research (1.08 ∼ 7.73 TPa·m1/2/s), the KIId of the two materials has a positive correlation to the loading rate. Both of the materials exhibit a gradual transition process from tensile failure to adiabatic shearing failure mode. According to the fracture morphologies of the two materials, the failure mechanism of the two materials is analyzed for different failure modes. Failure mode transition (FMT) is specially investigated with the increase of the loading rate for both of the materials.

Study on dynamic fracture properties of sandstone under the effect of high-temperature using large-scale sample

High temperatures are a crucial factor in the drilling of rock and the extraction of geothermal resources, to investigate the change rules of the dynamic fracture mechanism and physical parameters of sandstone under high temperature environment, this study conducted a series of physical parameter measurements on the sandstone treated in a range of temperatures (room temperature to 700 °C) using large single cleavage semicircle compression (LSCSC) sample. According to the experimental results, it can be observed that 400 °C is the threshold for the variation of the physical parameters of sandstone. The mass, P-wave velocity, S-wave velocity, elastic modulus and Poisson’ ratio have a significant downward trend with the temperature. The main mineral components of sandstone undergo thermochemical reactions and the variation of quartz is a fundamental cause for the deterioration of sandstone. The dynamic loading test was conducted using a drop hammer impact device and the fractured sample, the dynamic fracture test results indicate that the dynamic crack initiation time (CIT) of the samples is advanced with the temperature, but the crack speed and dynamic fracture toughness decreased with the temperature. Further discussions about SEM images and fractal box dimension of fracture surfaces can be found that with the temperature increases, the proportion of intergranular fractures of sandstone gradually increases, the effect of dynamic loads changes from destroying the grain structure of sandstone to orderly coalescing the micro-cracks in the sandstone.