Pulse compression and tension of Kevlar/epoxy composite under shock wave action

Abstract Using a VISAR laser interferometer , experimental study of the shock compressibility and spall strength of a Kevlar/epoxy composite was performed for two orientations of the fibres. In the experiments, a single stage gas gun (low pressures tests) and explosive driver system (high pressures up to 30 GPa) were used. Hugoniot parameters of Kevlar/epoxy composite were obtained with a kink in the vicinity of 17 GPa which can be associated with a phase transition. It is shown that the shock compressibility and spall strength of composite are almost independent of the fibre orientation. The influence of the anisotropy of the studied material is manifested in the formation of a two-wave configuration at the shock wave propagation along the fibres.