A method for intermediate strain rate compression testing and study of compressive failure mechanism of Mg-Al-Zn alloy

Obtaining meaningful information from the test results is a challenge in the split-Hopkinson pressure bar (SHPB) test method if the specimen does not fail during the test. Although SHPB method is now widely used for high strain rate testing, this limitation has made it difficult to use it for characterization of materials in the intermediate strain rate range (typically 10-1000 s(-1)). In the present work, a method is developed to characterize materials in the intermediate strain rate range using SHPB setup. In this method, the specimen is repeatedly tested under compression at a given strain rate until failure is achieved. The stress-strain graphs obtained from each test cycle are used to plot the master stress-strain graph for that strain rate. This method is used to study the strain rate dependence of compressive response of a Mg-Al-Zn alloy in the intermediate strain rate range. A remarkable difference is observed in the failure mechanism of the alloy under quasi-static and intermediate strain rate compression. Matrix cracking is the main failure mechanism under quasi-static compression, whereas shattering of intermetallic precipitates, along with plastic deformation of the matrix, is discovered to become prominent as the strain rate is increased. (C) 2011 American Institute of Physics. [doi:10.1063/1.3590155]