We present a series of experiments probing the martensitic α–ω (hexagonal close-packed to simple hexagonal) transition in titanium under shock-loading to peak stresses around 15 GPa. Gas-gun plate impact techniques were used to locate the α–ω transition stress with a laser-based velocimetry diagnostic. A change in the shock-wave profile at 10.1 GPa suggests the transition begins at this stress. A second experiment shock-loaded and then soft-recovered a similar titanium sample. This recovered material was then analyzed with electron-backscatter diffraction methods, revealing on average approximately 65% retained ω phase. Furthermore, based on careful analysis of the microstructure, we propose that the titanium never reached a full ω state, and that there was no observed phase-reversion from ω to α. Texture analysis suggests that any α titanium found in the recovered sample is the original α. At these stresses, the data show that both the α and ω phases are stable and can coexist even though the shock-wave presents as steady-state.
We present a study on the spall strength of additive manufactured (AM) Ti-6Al-4V. Samples were obtained from two pieces of selective laser melted (SLM, a powder bed fusion technique) Ti-6Al-4V such that the response to dynamic tensile loading could be investigated as a function of the orientation between the build layers and the loading direction. A sample of wrought bar-stock Ti-6Al-4V was also tested to act as a baseline representing the traditionally manufactured material response. A single-stage light gas-gun was used to launch a thin flyer plate into the samples, generating a region of intense tensile stress on a plane normal to the impact direction. The rear free surface velocity time history of each sample was recorded with laser-based velocimetry to allow the spall strength to be calculated. The samples were also soft recovered to enable post-mortem characterization of the spall damage evolution. Results showed that when the tensile load was applied normal to the interfaces between the build layers caused by the SLM fabrication process the spall strength was drastically reduced, dropping to 60% of that of the wrought material. However, when loaded parallel to the AM build layer interfaces the spall strength was found to remain at 95% of the wrought control, suggesting that when loading normal to the AM layer interfaces, void nucleation is facilitated more readily due to weaknesses along these boundaries. Quasi-static testing of the same sample orientations revealed a much lower degree of anisotropy, demonstrating the importance of rate-dependent studies for damage evolution in AM materials.
We performed a series of systematic spall experiments on single-crystal copper in an effort to determine and isolate the effects of crystal orientation, peak stress, and unloading strain rate on the tensile spall strength. Strain rates ranging from 0.62 to 2.2 × 106 s−1 and peak shock stresses in the 5–14 GPa range, with one additional experiment near 50 GPa, were explored as part of this work. Gun-driven impactors, called flyer plates, generated flat top shocks followed by spall. This work highlights the effect of crystal anisotropy on the spall strength by showing that the spall strength decreases in the following order: [100], [110], and [111]. Over the range of stresses and strain rates explored, the spall strength of [100] copper depends strongly on both the strain rate and shock stress. Except at the very highest shock stress, the results for the [100] orientation show linear relationships between the spall strength and both the applied compressive stress and the strain rate. In addition, hydrodynamic computer code simulations of the spall experiments were performed to calculate the relationship between the strain rate near the spall plane in the target and the rate of free surface velocity release during the pullback. As expected, strain rates at the spall plane are much higher than the strain rates estimated from the free surface velocity release rate. We have begun soft recovery experiments and molecular dynamics calculations to understand the unusual recompression observed in the spall signature for [100] crystals.
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