Indirect Tensile Characterization of Graphite Platelet Reinforced Vinyl Ester Nanocomposites at High-Strain Rate

An indirect tensile testing method is proposed for characterizing low strength graphite platelet reinforced vinyl ester nanocomposites at high-strain rate. In this technique, the traditional Brazilian disk (diametrical compression) test method for brittle materials is utilized along with conventional split-Hopkinson pressure bars (SHPB) for evaluating cylindrical disk specimens. The cylindrical disk specimen is held snugly in between two concave end fixtures attached to the incident and transmission bars. To eliminate the complexities of conventional strain gage application, a non-contact Laser Occluding Expansion Gage (LOEG) has been adapted for measuring the diametrical transverse expansion of the specimen under high-strain rate diametrical compressive loading. Failure diagnosis using high-speed digital photography validates the viability of utilizing this indirect test method for characterizing the tensile properties of xGnP (exfoliated graphite nanoplatelets) reinforced and additional CTBN (Carboxyl Terminated Butadiene Nitrile) toughened vinyl ester based nanocomposites. Also, quasi-static indirect tensile response agrees with previous investigations conducted using the traditional dog-bone specimen in direct tensile tests. Investigation of both quasi-static and dynamic indirect tensile test responses shows the strain rate effect on the tensile strength and energy absorbing capacity of the candidate materials. The contribution of reinforcement to the tensile properties of the candidate materials is presented.

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