A Novel Use of PDV for an Integrated Small-scale Test Platform

To examine the high strain and high strain rate response of structural metals, a dynamic extrusion technique has been developed at Los Alamos National Laboratory. In this study, several structural metals (copper, tantalum, and most recently zirconium) have been accelerated up to velocities of 600 m/s and extruded through a high strength steel die. A novel use of Photonic Doppler Velocimetry (PDV) has been employed to track the time and distance of the evolved deformation through the die. This integrated small-scale experiment is used to study and provide in-situ data, assisting in the modeling and understanding the dynamic response of materials. Time and distance data as well as the influence of crystallography and texture on the dynamic extrusion response of high purity zirconium will be presented.