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Crack resistance of RT-PMMA under impact loading
1, 2 , * 1
1  Université de Toulouse, ISAE –SUPAERO, Institut Clément Ader ( CNRS 5312), 31400,Toulouse, France
2  National Defence University of Malaysia, 57000, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Abstract:

Analysis of failure mechanisms under high strain rate loading in engineering materials is a key point for the design of structures submitted to accidental overloads. We are here interested in the crack arrest capability under impact loading of polymers used as structural and/or protection materials. In the present work, crack arrest capability is defined by how an engineering structure which is initially weakened by a pre-crack behaves when dynamically reloaded. The Kalthoff and Winkler (KW) impact test, consisting in impacting the edge of a double notched plate, is retained for that purpose. An experimental investigation of the dynamic crack arrest capability of shock-resistant PMMA under high strain rate loading is presented, evidencing the brittle feature of the material failure. A high-speed camera is used to record the chronology of the failure mechanisms. It is notably shown that the higher the impact velocity (in the range 50-100 m/s) the larger the number of fragments. Moreover, depending on the impact velocity, changes in the crack path and thus in the mechanisms controlling the PMMA dynamic fracture can be seen.

Keywords: Impact; fragmentation; RT-PMMA
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