An Investigation of the Mechanical Properties of Materials at very High Rates of Loading

A method of determining the stress-strain relation of materials when stresses are applied for times of the order of 20 microseconds is described. The apparatus employed was a modification of the Hopkinson pressure bar, and detonators were used to produce large transient stresses. Thin specimens of rubbers, plastics and metals were investigated and the compressions produced were as high as 20% with the softer materials. It was found that whilst...