High Strain Rate Research Articles

Preparation, Deformation Behavior and Irradiation Damage of Refractory Metal Single Crystals for Nuclear Applications: A Review.

Refractory metal single crystals have been applied in key high-temperature structural components of advanced nuclear reactor power systems, due to their excellent high-temperature properties and outstanding compatibility with nuclear fuels. Although electron beam floating zone melting and plasma arc melting techniques can prepare large-size oriented refractory metals and their alloy single crystals, both have difficulty producing perfect defect-free single crystals because of the high-temperature gradient. The mechanical properties of refractory metal single crystals under different loads all exhibit strong temperature and crystal orientation dependence. Slip and twinning are the two basic deformation mechanisms of refractory metal single crystals, in which low temperatures or high strain rates are more likely to induce twinning. Recrystallization is always induced by the combined action of deformation and annealing, exhibiting a strong crystal orientation dependence. The irradiation hardening and neutron embrittlement appear after exposure to irradiation damage and degrade the material properties, attributed to vacancies, dislocation loops, precipitates, and other irradiation defects, hindering dislocation motion. This paper reviews the research progress of refractory metal single crystals from three aspects, preparation technology, deformation behavior, and irradiation damage, and highlights key directions for future research. Finally, future research directions are prospected to provide a reference for the design and development of refractory metal single crystals for nuclear applications.

On the effect of strain rate during the cyclic compressive loading of liquid crystal elastomers and their 3D printed lattices

Nematic liquid crystal elastomers (LCEs) are a unique class of network polymers with the potential for enhanced mechanical energy absorption and dissipation capacity over conventional network polymers because they exhibit both conventional viscoelastic behavior and soft-elastic behavior (nematic director changes under shear loading). This additional inelastic mechanism makes them appealing as candidate damping materials in a variety of applications from vibration to impact. The lattice structures made from the LCEs provide further mechanical energy absorption and dissipation capacity associated with packing out the porosity under compressive loading.Understanding the extent of mechanical energy absorption, which is the work per unit mass (or volume) absorbed during loading, versus dissipation, which is the work per unit mass (or volume) dissipated during a loading cycle, requires measurement of both loading and unloading response. In this study, a bench-top linear actuator was employed to characterize the loading-unloading compressive response of polydomain and monodomain LCE polymers and polydomain LCE lattice structures with two different porosities (nominally, 62% and 85%) at both low and intermediate strain rates at room temperature. As a reference material, a bisphenol-A (BPA) polymer with a similar glass transition temperature (9 °C) as the nematic LCE (4 °C) was also characterized at the same conditions for comparing to the LCE polymers. Based on the loading-unloading stress-strain curves, the energy absorption and dissipation for each material at different strain rates (0.001, 0.1, 1, 10 and 90 s-1) were calculated with considerations of maximum stress and material mass/density. The strain-rate effect on the mechanical response and energy absorption and dissipation behaviors was determined. The energy dissipation ratio was also calculated from the resultant loading and unloading stress-strain curves. All five materials showed significant but different strain rate effects on energy dissipation ratio. The solid LCE and BPA materials showed greater energy dissipation capabilities at both low (0.001 s−1) and high (above 1 s−1) strain rates, but not at the strain rates in between. The polydomain LCE lattice structure showed superior energy dissipation performance compared with the solid polymers especially at high strain rates.

Numerical study of low‐rise composite steel frame responses to blast loading using direct simulation method

AbstractThis paper investigated the blast behavior of a low‐rise composite steel structure of three stories subjected to internal and external explosions for the same explosive charge of 250 kg TNT. A comparison of three various blast scenarios is aimed at better understanding how blast waves propagate in confined risk zones and their damage effects on far and exposed elements to an explosive charge. Evaluation of the damage level and the overall response of the proposed numerical model is done by estimating the adequacy of structural members subjected to blast loading using general limits in attempting to check the structure's strength and regularity. The analysis was based on load combinations and damage criteria according to the Unified Facilities Criteria which are general design approaches suitable for civil design applications in forecasting blast loads and structural system responses. The overall behavior of this structure was simulated based on a dynamic analysis by the direct simulation approach, which was chosen for modeling blast loads using the Friedlander blast load equation, and the simpler, less expensive, more accurate, and realistic A.T.‐BLAST model to deduce the simplified blast‐wave overpressure profile. The material nonlinearity at a high strain rate using the Johnson‐Cook strength and concrete plasticity damage model is studied dynamically using ABAQUS finite element code to simulate the explicit dynamic nonlinear analysis. The overall response of the proposed numerical model was evaluated by estimating the adequacy of structural members, considering the blast load as the initial cause of failure, such as axial plastic strain, internal forces limits, maximum deformation, support rotation, demand‐capacity‐ratio (DCRshear/moment), drift index and material damage model. The position of the explosive charge played an important role in determining the rate at which the structural element begins to plastic strains, displacements, moments, or rotations beyond the limits, and then key elements should be considered in structural design against progressive collapse. Results showed that steel members exhibit early indicators of failure, such as buckling necking, shear tearing, or plastic hinges, whereas concrete slabs break up immediately due to brittleness. DCRmoment values successfully showed the columns in which the first plastic joint can occur, whereas DCRshear values signaled the onset of shear failure at connections. Besides, plastic hinges played an important role in dissipating energy and preventing total structural collapse via the Strong Column‐Weak Beam design concept, which appears repeatedly in this study. The structure is a well‐designed and ductile building capable of supporting higher loads and is considered to be repairable and intact.

High Strain Rate Deformation Behavior of Gradient Rolling AZ31 Alloys

A dynamic impact test was performed on as-rolled AZ31 alloys with gradient microstructure under various strains. The microstructural evolution and mechanical properties were systematically investigated. As the strain rate gradually increased, an increasing number of twins were formed, facilitating dynamic recrystallization (DRX), and the mechanical properties were also gradually improved. The microstructure became heterogeneous at higher strain rates, but the peak stress decreased. The impact process resulted in a significantly higher performance due to microstructural refinement, work hardening by dislocations, and precipitates. In addition, both the adiabatic shear band and the adjacent crack experienced a temperature rise that exceeded the recrystallization temperature of the alloys. This observation also explains the presence of ultrafine recrystallized grains within the adiabatic shear band and the appearance of molten metal around the crack.

Dynamic mechanical behavior of CNT-reinforced epoxy under medium-strain rate: A comparative study

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are generally recognized as one of the most effective fillers to improve the properties of polymeric materials. Subjected to dynamic loading, polymer-based materials often exhibit high strain rate sensitivity. This research investigates the effectiveness of CNTs fillers on the mechanical properties of an epoxy resin at low to medium strain rates through conducting a comparative experimental study. Performing tensile and shear tests, the elastic modulus and strength properties of CNT/epoxy and pure epoxy resin are measured at different strain rates. By proposing an empirical logarithmic relationship, the prediction of dynamic elastic modulus and strength properties at any desired low to medium strain rate is facilitated. For measuring the dynamic fracture toughness of CNT/epoxy and pure epoxy resin at medium strain rate, the instrumented charpy impact test based on the Dynamic Key Curves (DKC) method is used. Experimental measurements still imply on significant enhancements in axial and shear properties and also dynamic fracture toughness up to medium strain rates of 150 s−1 by adding small portion of CNTs.

Surface characteristics evolution under the controllable impact cycles of an interrupted discrete waterjet

The interrupted discrete waterjet (DWJ) offers advantages in surface treatment due to its exceptional load characteristics and high controllability. However, the surface characteristics of materials under controllable DWJ parameters have not been fully elucidated. This study delves into the surface morphology, roughness parameters, microhardness, residual stress, and distribution of crystal characteristics in both the depth and radial directions under 2400–36,000 impact cycles of DWJ through peening experiments and material characterization. The findings indicate that the surface morphology is influenced by high-frequency roughness components with limited impact cycles, while low-frequency waviness components gradually take precedence with more impact cycles. As impact cycles increase, certain roughness parameters such as Sq, S5p, S5v, and S10z initially rise until 21,600 cycles, after which they fluctuate within a specific range. Furthermore, DWJ peening leads to an increase in maximum hardness with impact cycles, with the depth of peak value transitioning from the surface layer to the subsurface. The residual compressive stress initially increases and then decreases with impact cycles. Under the experimental conditions, the maximum hardness reaches 268.1HV0.3, a 49.95 % increase from the original state, and the peak residual compressive stress reaches 297.7 MPa with a 310.2 % increase. As impact cycles continue to rise, a balance between material removal and surface hardening is achieved, resulting in the stabilization of maximum hardness and compressive stress as erosion strength grows. Following DWJ peening, there is an increase in the percentage of low-angle grain boundaries, along with enhanced grain refinement, increased geometrically necessary dislocation (GND) density, and the emergence of new phases. As the impact cycles increase, the effects of DWJ peening on crystal grains become more pronounced. Additionally, it has been observed that the lateral jetting influence extends further horizontally than in the depth direction of the incoming jet. It is considered that cyclic hardening and high strain rate effects (1.2 × 104) play significant roles in material hardening and failure.

Formability and mechanism of ultra-thin titanium foil under the elevated temperature and high strain rate in electromagnetic forming

Electromagnetic forming (EMF) is a high-speed forming process with significant potential for manufacturing bipolar plates. However, titanium's low conductivity requires the use of a driver sheet in traditional EMF, limiting its formability improvement. This study proposed a novel electromagnetic forming method with independent loading of the magnetic field and current (EMF-ILMFC), enabling separate application of electromagnetic force and Joule heating. The dynamic deformation behavior of ultra-thin titanium was investigated using three different loading methods: quasi-static (QS), electromagnetic bulging with driver sheets (EMB-DS), and electromagnetic bulging with the new method (EMB-ILMFC). The study revealed that the forming limit under EMB-ILMFC was significantly higher than under EMB-DS and QS, with a maximum improvement of 139.1%. Numerical simulations and experimental analyses were conducted to elucidate the thermal effects on formability during dynamic deformation. The results indicate that thermal effects reduce flow stress, extend the duration of inertia and high strain rates, and thereby improve the formability of titanium.

Atomic simulations of crack propagation in Ni-Al binary single crystal superalloy with a central crack

Nickel (Ni)-based single-crystal superalloys are of great importance in the aircraft industry due to their excellent mechanical properties, and cracks as unavoidable defects may affect the mechanical performances of materials dramatically. In this paper, large scale molecular dynamics (MD) simulations are carried out to understand the deformation mechanisms of Ni-based single crystal with a central crack under tension. Here, the effects of matrixes (γ, γ′ and γ/γ′), strain rates (1 × 109 s−1 ∼ 3 × 109 s−1) and temperatures (300 K∼900 K) on the role of crack propagation are considered. It is observed that dislocations and slip systems in the γ′ model are concentrated near the crack, resulting in the rapid expansion of dislocation, which leads to the fastest crack growth speed and early fracture. While the crack propagation rate of γ and γ/γ′ models are relatively slow, due to the combined action of the Lomer-Cottrell lock and stacking fault tetrahedron structure and Stair-rod dislocation, which hinders crack propagation. In addition, deformation at increased strain rates and/or reduced temperatures, lead to superior yield stress and Young′s modulus for models with a central crack at γ/γ′ interface. On the other hand, high temperature and high strain rate will promote crack propagation in the γ phase, and the higher the strain rate and/or temperature, the faster the crack propagation speed will be. These results will enrich our understanding on the crack propagation and evolution mechanisms in Ni-based single crystal superalloy.

Cryogenic deformation behavior, constitutive modeling and microstructure evolution of solution-treated 2195 Al–Li alloy at high strain rates

In this paper, the flow behavior, constitutive model and microstructure evolution of solution-treated 2195 Al–Li alloy at temperatures from 123 K to 298 K and strain rates from 2000 s−1 to 5000 s−1 were studied. Experimental results show that the flow stress of the solution-treated 2195 Al–Li alloy is more sensitive to deformation temperature than strain rate. As the temperature declines from 298 K to 123 K, the flow stress at 2000 s−1 and 5000 s−1 increases by nearly 32.8% and 34.5%, respectively; whereas as the strain rate increases from 2000 s−1 to 5000 s−1, the flow stress at 298 K and 123 K only increases by 5.1% and 6.5%, respectively. The average strain hardening rate tends to decline with the increase in strain rate and temperature, and its value at 123 K and 2000 s−1 is about 1.5 times greater than that at 298 K and 5000 s−1. To overcome the very limited applicability of the conventional Arrhenius model with strain compensation, an Arrhenius-based model (c-Arrhenius model) is developed by coupling an independent strain term and then derived by using normalized flow stress and linear regression. To quantify the strain rate effect and temperature effect, a Johnson-Cook-based model (c-Johnson-Cook model) with exponential terms is developed. These two new constitutive models are validated via a comparative analysis, showing good predictability and accuracy. A further microstructure observation shows that the dislocation density is the highest at a strain rate of 5000 s−1 and cryogenic temperature of 123 K, which is beneficial for subsequent aging strengthening.

Experimental study and finite element modelling of pure copper tube fabrication via the Parallel Tubular Channel Angular Pressing (PTCAP) Process

The Parallel Tubular Channel Angular Pressing Process (PTCAP) has emerged as a promising method for refining the grain structure and enhancing the mechanical properties of metallic materials through severe plastic deformation. This study focuses on a comprehensive investigation of the PTCAP process, combining experimental and numerical analysis to gain insights into its underlying mechanisms. Experimental investigations involve processing a commercially pure copper tube using PTCAP under controlled conditions. In parallel, an explicit numerical analysis is developed using ABAQUS software to simulate the deformation behavior during PTCAP. The model incorporates material constitutive equations and accounts to describe the material response under high strain rates and large deformations. The research aims to investigate how multi-pass PTCAP affects hardness, strain homogeneity, and stress distribution. A comparison between the load punch from the experimental and FEM is conducted to validate the FEM results, and there is a good correlation between both. Hardness measurements are conducted at various stages to quantify the changes in material hardness resulting from the successive PTCAP passes. The hardness of the Cu tube increased by 63.45, 94.51, 103.98, and 105.64% after 1 to 4 passes, respectively.

Influence of high strain rate and catalyst concentration on dynamic impact behavior of vitrimers

Influence of high strain rate and catalyst concentration on dynamic impact behavior of vitrimers

On the role of geometrically necessary dislocations in void formation and growth in response to shock loading conditions in wrought and additively manufactured Ta

This study investigates the role of geometrically necessary dislocations (GNDs) and microstructure on void nucleation and growth in wrought and additively manufactured (AM) tantalum subjected to high-strain rate loading. Multi-modal 3D data was collected using TriBeam tomography to calculate GND densities and their spatial relationship to voids. A microstructural comparison between the wrought and AM samples identified distinct void shapes and locations, with intragranular voids and more spherical voids frequently observed in the AM dataset. Results indicate that voids preferentially form at both high-angle grain boundaries and low-angle subgrain boundaries, the latter of which are frequently observed in the AM material. Through a radial distribution analysis of all voids in the datasets, significant GND localization to near-void-surface regions was observed in both samples. 3D crystal plasticity simulations were employed to extend the experimental observations, revealing higher void growth rates in [111] oriented grains when compared to [001] grains. The simulations also suggest that GNDs can be generated as part of the void growth process, with more GND accumulation for growth in a [111] grain than a [001] grain. These findings provide valuable insights into the links between nanoscale void nucleation, mesoscale void growth, and microstructural effects in dynamically loaded tantalum.

Shear localization in gradient high-entropy alloy at high strain rates: Crystal plasticity modeling

Gradient-structured metals have attracted a lot of attention due to their good synergy between strength and ductility. However, whether they can be used as a candidate for effective prevention of shear localization failure during high strain rate deformations is still an open question. Corresponding to the particular mechanisms of dynamic recrystallization and twinning at high strain rates, a physically based constitutive model of crystal plasticity is developed, including a new evolution equation for dislocation density and a twinning model, to investigate the detailed process of shear localization of gradient-structured CoCrFeMnNi high-entropy alloys (HEAs). A physically based strain gradient theory is considered to capture the strengthening effect of gradient structures. The competition between microstructural softening and strengthening effects is quantified to reveal the effects of gradient-structure on shear localization and shear localization can be significantly delayed in gradient-structured HEAs. This study contributes to the understanding of the influence of gradient-structure on shear localization and provides insights for further optimization of the mechanical behavior of gradient-structures at high strain rates to develop strong and ductile metals and alloys for dynamic applications.

Effect of high strain rate on adiabatic shear susceptibility and microstructures in Al0.4CoCrFeNi high-entropy alloy

The effect of high strain rate on adiabatic shear susceptibility and microstructures in Al0.4CoCrFeNi high-entropy alloy (HEA) was examined using a split Hopkinson pressure bar (SHPB) and hat-shaped specimens. The results exhibit a clear strain-hardening effect at high strain rates within the experimental range in six specimen groups. The adiabatic shear band (ASB) with an approximately 1 μm wide was formed at 1.05 × 105 s−1 due to thermoplastic instability resulting from adiabatic temperature rise. The central region of the ASB consists of ultrafine and equiaxed recrystallized grains with a typical size of 100 nm. Comparison of metallographic observation and calculation shear voltage-time, the dynamic shear stress-time curves and the dissipation energy, it was found that the adiabatic shear susceptibility of Al0.4CoCrFeNi HEA increases with increased strain rate. The thermodynamic and kinetic calculations indicate that dynamic recrystallization can occur in the shear band based on the rotational dynamic recrystallization (RDR) mechanism.

Microstructure evolution and surface strengthening behavior of 300 M ultrahigh strength steel under engineered surface treatments

In this work, the most efficient and common engineered surface treatments identified as shot peening (SP), laser shock peening (LSP) and ultrasonic surface rolling process (USRP) were utilized to impact the 300 M ultrahigh strength steel. The microstructure evolution and surface strengthening behavior were carefully characterized and compared for the 300 M steel with various treatments. Besides, the underlying mechanisms for difference in grain refinement and surface mechanical properties by the arranged surface modification are revealed. The results indicate that a gradient structure with nano-grains at the top surface appears on the SP, LSP and USRP treated samples. The process of repeated impacts of SP in different directions leads to activation of multiple slip systems, which thus causes severe refined grains and dense dislocation activities associated with dislocation tangles, dislocation walls and blocking. A great variety of strikes per unit area by USRP results in higher plastic deformation compared to SP where numerous dislocation cells and deformation bands were generated. In contrast to SP and USRP, fewer slip systems are activated in LSP due to the short duration time which thus leads to the thinnest refined grain layer and more planar dislocation structures. The combination of low plastic work and lack of refined grains leads to lowest full width at half maximum (FWHM) in case of LSP samples whereas high FWHM comes from both fine grain size and dislocations in SP. The grain refinement and plastic work contributes to an increase of microhardness and compressive residual stress for the SP, LSP and USRP samples. To be clear, SP leads to a higher magnitude of hardness and compressive residual stress on the topmost surface while LSP causes a larger depth due to that shock wave in LSP influences material to much greater depth. Besides, the decomposition and redistribution of carbides are also noticed on the surface layer after the surface treatments with very high strain rate where numerous dislocations accumulate at the border of the carbides and slip trace is also observed within the carbides.

Cooperative dislocations for pressure-dependent sequential deformation of multi-principal element alloys under shock loading

Multi-principal element alloys (MPEAs) are promising materials for structural applications under extreme conditions. Their outstanding mechanical properties are closely related to the activation of multiple deformation modes of dislocation gliding, twinning, and phase transformation that appear in sequence during deformation at low temperatures, high pressures, or high strain rates. However, the inherent correlations among these deformation modes and, thus, underlying deformation mechanisms of MPEAs remain largely unknown. We report soft-recovery plate impact experiments of face-centered-cubic (FCC) CrCoNi MPEAs, demonstrating pressure-dependent deformation modes from low-pressure stacking faults to medium-pressure twinning and high-pressure FCC to hexagonal-close-packed (HCP) phase transformation. Atomic-scale characterizations unveil that the sequential deformation is manipulated by the cooperation of 90° and 30° Shockley partial dislocations at deformation fronts, which is facilitated by low stacking fault energy and pressure-dependent phase stability of the MPEAs. Moreover, the cooperative dislocation behavior can also be observed at twin fronts of shock-loaded CrMnFeCoNi MPEA, validating the universality of the cooperative deformation mode in FCC alloys with a low stacking fault energy. Theoretical analyses suggest that the distinctive cooperative dislocation behavior results in the self-compensation of dislocation strain fields and the minimization of interfacial elastic energy at incoherent twin and FCC/HCP interfaces.

Cryogenic mechanical behavior and FCC → HCP phase transformation mechanism in a Si-added CrCoNi medium-entropy alloy under quasi-static and dynamic tension

The CrCoNiSi0.3 MEA exhibits excellent cryogenic mechanical properties upon both quasi-static and dynamic tension. Under quasi-static tension at cryogenic temperature, the engineering yield and ultimate tensile strengths (UTS) reach 980 MPa and 1800 MPa, respectively, with notable ductility (62 %). The product of UTS and total elongation (TE) is 111.6 GPa %, surpassing most cryogenic high strength-ductility alloys. The significant mechanical strength enhancement is attributed to the denser deformation twins (DTs), multiple twinning, and extensive face-centered-cubic to hexagonal-close-packed (HCP) phase transitions, resulting in a high work hardening capacity. Upon dynamic tension at cryogenic temperature, the strength and strain hardening are further improved, which originates from the thickening DTs and HCP sequence and localized plastic deformation. The effects of temperature and strain rate on phase transition are studied. It is proposed that there is a competing relationship between high strain rate and increased stacking fault energy (SFE) due to temperature rise. The coupling effect of cryogenic temperature and high strain rate inhibits phase transition due to the deformation inhomogeneity in CrCoNiSi0.3 MEA. The findings make a valuable contribution to understand the influence of temperature and strain rate on the mechanism of FCC-to-HCP phase transition.

Effect of TiB2 particles on dynamic recrystallization in TiB2-reinforced Al–Zn–Mg–Cu–Zr during hot compression

We investigated the microstructure evolution of a 6 wt% TiB2-reinforced Al–Zn–Mg–Cu–Zr composite subjected to hot compression at temperatures within the range 370 °C–490 °C, at strain rates between 0.001 s−1 and 10 s−1. The microstructure evolution was characterized by electron backscatter diffraction and transmission electron microscopy. Dynamic recovery and dynamic recrystallization mechanisms were analyzed, with a focus on nucleation at original grain boundaries and TiB2 particles. The results show that recovery is the main dynamic softening mechanism due to the high dislocation mobility in the Al matrix. However, low temperature and high strain rate results in a large number of small recrystallized grains, whereas high temperature and low strain rate results in a few large recrystallized grains. Dynamic recrystallization is mainly attributed to particle-stimulated nucleation occurring near TiB2 particles/clusters, especially TiB2 particles/clusters at grain boundaries. Relations between the observed dynamic recrystallization and the Zener-Hollomon parameter are discussed.

Hot compression deformation behavior and microstructure evolution of Al-0.5Mg-0.4Si alloy

The hot compression tests for as-cast Al-0.5Mg-0.4Si alloy were performed on Gleeble-3500 thermo-mechanical simulator under temperatures of 350–500 °C and strain rates of 0.01–10 s−1. Based on the experimental data, a strain-compensated Arrhenius constitutive model was established by exponential function coupling strain. The hot processing map of Al-0.5Mg-0.4Si alloy was established, and the reasonable processing parameters were obtained. The microstructural evolution and dynamic softening mechanisms of the alloy were analyzed using electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD). A detailed description of the evolution of dislocation and the dislocation density during the deformation process was provided. The results indicate that the softening mechanisms of Al-0.5Mg-0.4Si alloy are dynamic recovery (DRV) and continuous dynamic recrystallization (CDRX). The dynamic recovery mechanism is related to the cross slip of the screw dislocation. High temperature and low strain rate are conducive the occurrence of CDRX. This study provides comprehensive guidance for the hot processing of Al-0.5Mg-0.4Si alloy from both macroscopic and microscopic perspectives.

Influence of High Strain Dynamic Loading on HEMA-DMAEMA Hydrogel Storage Modulus and Time Dependence.

Hydrogels have been extensively studied for biomedical applications such as drug delivery, tissue-engineered scaffolds, and biosensors. There is a gap in the literature pertaining to the mechanical properties of hydrogel materials subjected to high-strain dynamic-loading conditions even though empirical data of this type are needed to advance the design of innovative biomedical designs and inform numerical models. For this work, HEMA-DMAEMA hydrogels are fabricated using a photopolymerization approach. Hydrogels are subjected to high-compression oscillatory dynamic mechanical loading at strain rates equal to 50%, 60%, and 70%, and storage and loss moduli are observed over time, e.g., 72 h and 5, 10, and 15 days. As expected, the increased strains resulted in lower storage and loss moduli, which could be attributed to a breakdown in the hydrogel network attributed to several mechanisms, e.g., increased network disruption, chain scission or slippage, and partial plastic deformation. This study helps to advance our understanding of hydrogels subjected to high strain rates to understand their viscoelastic behavior, i.e., strain rate sensitivity, energy dissipation mechanisms, and deformation kinetics, which are needed for the accurate modeling and prediction of hydrogel behavior in real-world applications.