High-Pressure Dynamic Strength Measurements and Continuum Modeling of Granular Boron Carbide via the Tamped Richtmyer-Meshkov Instability Method

The high-pressure dynamic strength of granular B₄C (ρ₀₀=0.85 g/cm³, 33% TMD) is determined through coupled experiments and numerical simulations. Plate impact experiments are performed at the Advanced Photon Source’s Dynamic Compression Sector using the tamped Richtmyer-Meshkov instability configuration, in which a planar shock wave is driven through a corrugated Cu driver-B₄C tamper interface forcing the corrugation to invert and penetrate the shock compressed B₄C tamper. Depth of inversion (jet length), corrugation contour, and shock wave propagation are measured using multiframe X-ray phase contrast imaging. Numerical simulations are performed using the Eulerian hydrocode CTH and calibrated against these experimentally measured values. B₄C bulk yield strength, Y, as a function of shock pressure, P, is determined for each impact experiment. The assembly of these P-Y data points illustrate the pressure-dependent yield surface of granular B₄C.

SAND2022-2532 A