Title of Project: To study effect of high strain rate on Mechanical behavior of Aluminium alloy

A356 MMC using Split Hopkinson Pressure Bar

SHPB Set-up:
Experimental Techniques in characterizing the behavior of materials at high rates of
strain are concerned with measuring the change in mechanical properties, such as yield strength,
work hardening, and ductility, which can vary with strain rate. Strain rate, , is defined as the
rate of change of strain (defined as the ratio of change in the length of a mechanical test sample)
with respect to time; t. The purpose of SHPB is to determine the mechanical properties of
different materials at high strain rates. There is a need of evaluating material properties at a very
high strain rates as many scientist have mentioned in their research work that materials under
intense pressure behaves differently when compare to the materials under less intense pressure.
The mechanical properties of different materials under a high impact load changes rapidly within
a duration of a microsecond.

Figure: Simplified schematic of a typical compressive SHPB

Figure shows the compressive Split Hopkinson Pressure Bar (SHPB). The apparatus is typically
equipped with a Striker bar, Incident bar and the Transmitted bar. The test specimen usually goes
in between the Incident bar and the Transmitted bar. This entire apparatus is aligned in such a
way that the stress can travel in a uni-axial direction. The cylindrical test specimen is pressed
between two cylindrical Incident and Transmitted bars. The striker bar which is used as a
projectile to hit on one end of the Incident bar. The high Impact of the striker bar on the incident
or input bar creates a compressive stress wave which travels through the incident bar till it
reaches the incident bar and test specimen interface. When the stress wave hits the interface, a
partial stress wave is reflected back into the incident bar and the rest travels through the
transmitted bar. The reflected stress wave travels as a tensile wave in the incident bar and the
stress wave which is transmitted into transmitted bar travels in the form of a compressive wave.
In SHPB, both the compressive and tensile stress waves are used to calculate the stress and strain
in the test specimen. The tensile wave is used to calculate the strain and the compressive wave is
used to calculate the stress.
In the computational model of SHPB, the stress and strain can be calculated using the
stress-strain relationship for the material by using the incident, transmitted and reflected stress
waves.

(1)
In the above equation 1, s(t) is the history of the specimen stress, E is the transmitted
bar or output bars modulus of elasticity, A0 is the cross sectional area of the transmitted bar, A is
cross sectional area of the specimen and T(t) is the transmitted strain history recorded at the
transmitted bar strain gauges. The actual strain rate generated by the impact can be calculated via
Equation 2.
(2)
In the above Equation 2, S(t) is the temporal history of the specimen strain, C 0 is the
infinite wavelength wave velocity in the incident or input bar, L is the initial length of the
specimen and R(t) is the strain history generated by the reflected pulse or the tensile wave in the
incident bar. The C0 term used above is, by definition, the infinite wavelength wave velocity in
the input bar and can be estimated as

(3)
In the above Equation 3, E is the modulus of elasticity of the incident bar and is the
density of the incident bar. Finally, the time history of the specimen strain can be computed by
integrating Equation 2. This results in the Equation 4.

(4)
By using above equations, the mechanical properties of the materials at high strain rate
can be obtained and stress-strain graphs can be generated.

Geometry and Material Properties of conventional SHPB:

The output results required for following four different metal matrix composite material
specimen.
1.
2.
3.
4.

Aluminum alloy A356/LM25 reinforced with 0% Aluminum oxides (A356+0% Al2O3)

Aluminum alloy A356/LM25 reinforced with 4% Aluminum oxides (A356+4% Al2O3)
Aluminum alloy A356/LM25 reinforced with 8% Aluminum oxides (A356+8% Al2O3)
Aluminum alloy A356/LM25 reinforced with 12% Aluminum oxides (A356+12% Al2O3)

1. Aluminum alloy 356 reinforced with 0% Aluminum oxides metal matrix

composite material.
The output results required for following different velocities of striker bar
Sr. No.
1.
2.
3.
4.

Strain Rate

Striker Bar
Velocity Vst (m/s)

Pressure
(bar)

Time Required
tp (sec)

Pulse Length
Lp (m)

100

8.185

0.938

1.1857e-4

0.6

400

11.2147

1.76077

1.1857e-4

0.6

800

15.25

3.2577

1.1857e-4

0.6

1200

19.29

5.21157

1.1857e-4

0.6

The dimensions of Striker Bar, Incident bar, Transmitted Bar and Specimen and their
material properties are as follows,
Striker Bar
Incident Bar
Specimen 1
Transmitted Bar
Aluminum
Aluminum
Aluminum Alloy
Properties
LM25+0%AL2O3
Alloy 7075-t6 Alloy 7075-t6
7075-t6
MMC
Modulus of
Elasticity (E)
71.7e9
71.7e9
72.4e9
71.7e9
[Pa]
Shear
Modulus (G)
26.9e9
26.9e9
27.2e9
26.9e9
[Pa]
Density ()
2800
2800
2670
2800
[kg/m3]
Poissons
Ratio ()

0.33

0.33

0.33

0.33

ultimate [Pa]

572 e6

572 e6

151.22 e6

572 e6

yield [Pa]

503 e6

503 e6

141.18 e6

503 e6

Diameter
(mm)

20

20

12

20

Length
(mm)

300

750

10

750

Required Output:
1) Simulation of SHPB setup for given impact velocities of Striker bar.

2) Find out the effect of high strain rate on the specimen material mechanical properties in the
form of graphs for different strain rates (Impact velocities) as described below;
1. Stress Vs Time
2. Strain Vs Time
3. True Stress Vs True Strain
4. True Stress Vs Strain Rate

2. Aluminum alloy 356 reinforced with 4% Aluminum oxides metal matrix

composite material.
The output results required for following different velocities of striker bar
Sr. No.
1.
2.
3.
4.

Strain Rate

Striker Bar
Velocity Vst (m/s)

Pressure
(bar)

Time Required
tp (sec)

Pulse Length
Lp (m)

100

9.3166

1.215

1.1857e-4

0.6

400

12.455

2.172

1.1857e-4

0.6

800

16.6408

3.8768

1.1857e-4

0.6

1200

20.826

6.072

1.1857e-4

0.6

The dimensions of Striker Bar, Incident bar, Transmitted Bar and Specimen and their
material properties are as follows,
Striker Bar
Incident Bar
Specimen 2
Transmitted Bar
Aluminum
Aluminum
Aluminum Alloy
Properties
LM25+4%AL2O3
Alloy 7075-t6
Alloy 7075-t6
7075-t6
MMC
Modulus of
Elasticity (E)
71.7e9
71.7e9
75.01e9
71.7e9
[Pa]
Shear
Modulus (G)
26.9e9
26.9e9
27.2e9
26.9e9
[Pa]
Density ()
2800
2800
2680
2800
[kg/m3]
Poissons
Ratio ()

0.33

0.33

0.33

0.33

ultimate [Pa]

572 e6

572 e6

172.86e6

572 e6

yield [Pa]

503 e6

503 e6

162.73e6

503 e6

Diameter
(mm)

20

20

12

20

Length
(mm)

300

750

10

750

Required Output:
1) Simulation of SHPB setup for given impact velocities of Striker bar.
2) Find out the effect of high strain rate on the specimen material mechanical properties in the
form of graphs for different strain rates (Impact velocities) as described below;
1. Stress Vs Time
2. Strain Vs Time
3. True Stress Vs True Strain
4. True Stress Vs Strain Rate

3. Aluminum alloy 356 reinforced with 8% Aluminum oxides metal matrix

composite material.
The output results required for following different velocities of striker bar
Sr. No.
1.
2.
3.
4.

Strain Rate

Striker Bar
Velocity Vst (m/s)

Pressure
(bar)

Time Required
tp (sec)

Pulse Length
Lp (m)

100

8.9824

1.13

1.1857e-4

0.6

400

12.294

2.116

1.1857e-4

0.6

800

16.71

3.91

1.1857e-4

0.6

1200

21.125

6.248

1.1857e-4

0.6

The dimensions of Striker Bar, Incident bar, Transmitted Bar and Specimen and their
material properties are as follows,
Striker Bar
Incident Bar
Specimen 3
Transmitted Bar
Aluminum
Aluminum
Aluminum Alloy
Properties
LM25+8%AL2O3
Alloy 7075-t6 Alloy 7075-t6
7075-t6
MMC
Modulus of
Elasticity (E)
71.7e9
71.7e9
79.14e9
71.7e9
[Pa]
Shear
Modulus (G)
26.9e9
26.9e9
27.2e9
26.9e9
[Pa]
Density ()
2800
2800
2650
2800
[kg/m3]
Poissons
Ratio ()

0.33

0.33

0.33

0.33

ultimate [Pa]

572 e6

572 e6

181.94e6

572 e6

yield [Pa]

503 e6

503 e6

155.02e6

503 e6

Diameter
(mm)

20

20

12

20

Length
(mm)

300

750

10

750

Required Output:
1) Simulation of SHPB setup for given impact velocities of Striker bar.
2) Find out the effect of high strain rate on the specimen material mechanical properties in the
form of graphs for different strain rates (Impact velocities) as described below;
1. Stress Vs Time
2. Strain Vs Time
3. True Stress Vs True Strain
4. True Stress Vs Strain Rate

4. Aluminum alloy 356 reinforced with 12% Aluminum oxides metal

matrix composite material.
The output results required for following different velocities of striker bar
Sr. No.
1.
2.
3.
4.

Strain Rate

Striker Bar
Velocity Vst (m/s)

Pressure
(bar)

Time Required
tp (sec)

Pulse Length
Lp (m)

100

7.958

0.88664

1.1857e-4

0.6

400

10.934

1.67368

1.1857e-4

0.6

800

14.90148

3.10875

1.1857e-4

0.6

1200

18.869

4.9846

1.1857e-4

0.6

The dimensions of Striker Bar, Incident bar, Transmitted Bar and Specimen and their
material properties are as follows,
Striker Bar
Incident Bar
Specimen 4
Transmitted Bar
Aluminum
Aluminum
Properties
LM25+12%AL2O3 Aluminum Alloy
Alloy 7075-t6 Alloy 7075-t6
7075-t6
MMC
Modulus of
Elasticity (E)
71.7e9
71.7e9
71.11e9
71.7e9
[Pa]
Shear
Modulus (G)
26.9e9
26.9e9
27.2e9
26.9e9
[Pa]
Density ()
2800
2800
2630
2800
[kg/m3]
Poissons
Ratio ()

0.33

0.33

0.33

0.33

ultimate [Pa]

572 e6

572 e6

149.09e6

572 e6

yield [Pa]

503 e6

503 e6

137.07e6

503 e6

Diameter
(mm)

20

20

12

20

Length
(mm)

300

750

10

750

Required Output:
1) Simulation of SHPB setup for given impact velocities of Striker bar.
2) Find out the effect of high strain rate on the specimen material mechanical properties in the
form of graphs for different strain rates (Impact velocities) as described below;
1. Stress Vs Time
2. Strain Vs Time
3. True Stress Vs True Strain
4. True Stress Vs Strain Rate