Experimental study on spallation of titanium alloy plates under intense impulse loading

The dynamic response and spall characteristics of a double-layer TC4 titanium alloy thin target under intense impulse loading was investigated experimentally using electric gun technique. A velocity measuring instrument, known as VISAR (velocity interferometer system for any reflector), measured the free surface velocity of targets. Typical characteristic parameters of the velocity were calculated by the obtained data. The deformation/failure modes of the samples were analyzed. And based on stress wave propagation theory, the spall thickness was derived. Furthermore, it was found that the oscillation period of the free surface velocity can be used to estimate the location of spalling damage, but cannot directly reflect the full spallation of the target.