A variety of projectiles can be accelerated using pulsed lasers, from planar metal flyer foils to spherical projectiles. This selectability of impactor geometry offers adjustable loading conditions in stress space. Here we explore the spall failure, changes in hugoniot elastic limit, shear banding, and…
Boron carbide is a candidate in many armor applications because it has an exceptional specific strength (hardness approaching 30 GPa and low density of ~2.5 g/cc). In practice, wider use of this material has been limited because it is well-known to show a loss…
SiC is a material of use for defense and space applications primarily for its high hardness, high bulk modulus and high melting temperature. The above well-known ceramic material exists in numerous polymorph varieties and exhibits a plastic behavior followed by a brittle nature. Continuum…
Stress-induced amorphization of boron carbide has been extensively explored via various experimental and theoretical studies since its initial discovery about twelve years ago. However, several fundamental behaviors are still not well understood and there has not yet been a thorough effort made to understand…
Understanding the influence of crystal orientation on mechanical properties of boron carbide allows for optimal design of structures. In this work, we investigate the influence of chain orientation on the shock response of single-crystal boron carbide through molecular dynamics simulations of planar, normal impact…
A new unified model for dwell and penetration during the impact of long projectiles on thick ceramic targets has been developed using the principles of conservation of mass and momentum. The target response is assumed to occur in a hemispherical region containing nested comminuted,…