The deviatoric response of an alumina filled epoxy composite during shock loading.

The deviatoric response of a particulate alumina-epoxy composite to shock loading has been investigated using manganin stress gauges sensitive to the lateral component of stress. Results show that the lateral stress and thus the shear strength are near constant behind the shock front, indicating that the presence of alumina has a diluting response of the epoxy resin. The shear strength has been observed to increase with increasing shock stress, in agreement with comparisons between the measured shock stress and the calculated hydrodynamic pressure. Finally, the Hugoniot elastic limit of this material has been estimated at ∼1.6 GPa by the intersection between the elastic and inelastic shear strengths. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]