Investigation of the fracture and fragmentation of explosively driven rings and cylinders

Cylinders and rings fabricated from AerMet® 100 alloy and AISI 1018 steel have been explosively driven to fragmentation in order to determine the fracture strains for these materials under plane-strain and uniaxial-stress conditions. The phenomena associated with the dynamic expansion and subsequent break up of the cylinders are monitored with high-speed diagnostics. In addition, complementary experiments are performed in which fragments from the explosively driven cylinders are recovered and analyzed to determine the statistical distribution associated with the fragmentation process as well as to determine failure mechanisms. The data are used to determine relevant coefficients for the Hancock–McKenzie (Johnson–Cook) fracture model. Metallurgical analysis of the fragments provides information on damage and failure mechanisms.