Uniaxial compression and combined compression-and-shear response of amorphous polycarbonate at high loading rates

We present results of a study conducted to better understand the yield and flow response of amorphous poly(bisphenol A carbonate), PC-Lexan (R) (PC), under uniaxial compression and combined compression-and-shear impact loading. A split Hopkinson pressure bar (SHPB) is utilized to obtain nearly adiabatic uniaxial compression response of the PC in the strain-rate range of 1000-2000 s-1. Since temperature is expected to play an important role in governing the dynamic response of PC, nearly isothermal SHPB tests are also conducted and compared with the adiabatic response. In order to investigate the coupling of shear behavior and dilatation in PC at high loading rates, combined compression-and-shear plate impact experiments are conducted at strain-rates in the range of 10(5)-10(6) s-1. In addition, novel plate impact experiments are conducted to better understand the evolution of the shearing resistance of PC in response to sudden alterations (drop) in hydrostatic pressure under extremely high shearing rates. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 2012. (C) 2011 Society of Plastics Engineers