Shock compression and spallation of ABS and ABS/PC blend under plate impact

Abstract

Plate impact experiments are conducted on acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) and an ABS/polycarbonate (ABS/PC) blend to investigate their shock compression and spallation properties. The Hugoniot equation of state and shock-state sound speed are measured up to a peak shock stress of 1.6 GPa through reverse impact. Spall strength and tensile strain rate are derived from the free-surface velocity histories. Spall strength is approximately constant for both materials. The addition of 30 wt% PC results in an 270% increase in spall strength ($\sim$46 MPa for ABS versus 170 MPa for ABS/PC). The underlying damage mechanisms are further investigated using X-ray computed tomography. Extensive ellipsoidal voids are observed in the postmortem ABS specimens, while thin, curved cracks are identified in ABS/PC samples. These differences in dynamic responses and damage mechanisms between ABS and ABS/PC can be attributed to internal particle cavitation, crazing and interface debonding.