Shock induced hardness in α-Iron

Abstract This investigation deals with the introduction of structural defects into thick specimens of α-iron by the passage of shock waves, and the quantitative determination of the hardness distribution due to these defects. The hardness induced by the shock wave sharply decreases with distance from the plane of entry, and the decrease is associated with the increase of the average inter-twin spacing and the decrease of the average dislocation density. The relation between the hardness, H, and the parameters of the substructure is expressed by the following equation: H = H ∗ + kλ − 1 2 + αGb Λ where H ∗ , k, α, G and b are the material's constants, λ is the average inter-twin spacing and Λ is the average dislocation density. It was also found that a linear relationship exists between Λ 1 2 and λ−1 in shock-treated α-iron.