Damage Tolerant Mechanisms of Natural Biomaterials for Design of Novel Engineered Bio-Inspired Composites
Abstract
This one-year grant is complete and the final report received. This project was built on research undertaken by the Brown group at the University of Cambridge that involved understanding how soft biological materials respond to mechanical damage. This work required the development of experimental techniques different than the ones typically used for hard synthetic materials. The key focus of this project was the retrofitting of a split-Hopkinson pressure bar for use with soft materials. The Tensile Hopkinson Bar system has been entirely retrofitted to an easier-to-use, more modular configuration. The gas gun now sits on a steel rail system to which multiple ring mounts can be clamped. The mobility of the mounts facilitates testing of samples with a wide range of geometries with varied gripping methods. Tests with plastics including polyethylene were conducted. Due to attendant changes in the opacity of the samples under testing, these experiments were visualized with high-speed videography to assess changes to the strain states of the samples, which can be coupled to information from the strain gauges present on the bars. Signals from the samples could be detected and differentiated from artefacts caused by the grips. A follow-on grant (FA9550-19-1-7006) was awarded to continue the work.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Apr 30, 2020
- Accession Number
- AD1106352
Entities
People
- Katherine A. Brown