Indirect Tensile Characterization of Graphite Platelet Reinforced Vinyl Ester Nanocomposites at High-Strain Rate

Brahmananda  Pramanik; Arunachalam M.  Rajendran; P. Raju  Mantena; Tezeswi  Tadepalli

doi:10.4236/ojcm.2014.44022

Journals by Subject

Journals by Title

OJCM Vol.4 No.4 , October 2014

Indirect Tensile Characterization of Graphite Platelet Reinforced Vinyl Ester Nanocomposites at High-Strain Rate

Brahmananda Pramanik¹, P. Raju Mantena², Tezeswi Tadepalli³, Arunachalam M. Rajendran²

Abstract: An indirect tensile testing method is proposed for characterizing low strength graphite platelet reinforced vinyl ester nanocomposites at high-strain rate. In this technique, the traditional Brazilian disk (diametrical compression) test method for brittle materials is utilized along with conventional split-Hopkinson pressure bars (SHPB) for evaluating cylindrical disk specimens. The cylindrical disk specimen is held snugly in between two concave end fixtures attached to the incident and transmission bars. To eliminate the complexities of conventional strain gage application, a non-contact Laser Occluding Expansion Gage (LOEG) has been adapted for measuring the diametrical transverse expansion of the specimen under high-strain rate diametrical compressive loading. Failure diagnosis using high-speed digital photography validates the viability of utilizing this indirect test method for characterizing the tensile properties of xGnP (exfoliated graphite nanoplatelets) reinforced and additional CTBN (Carboxyl Terminated Butadiene Nitrile) toughened vinyl ester based nanocomposites. Also, quasi-static indirect tensile response agrees with previous investigations conducted using the traditional dog-bone specimen in direct tensile tests. Investigation of both quasi-static and dynamic indirect tensile test responses shows the strain rate effect on the tensile strength and energy absorbing capacity of the candidate materials. The contribution of reinforcement to the tensile properties of the candidate materials is presented.

Keywords: Split Hopkinson Pressure Bars, High-Strain Rate Tensile Test, Brazilian Disk Test Method, Laser Occluding Expansion Gage, Nanocomposites

Cite this paper: Pramanik, B. , Mantena, P. , Tadepalli, T. and Rajendran, A. (2014) Indirect Tensile Characterization of Graphite Platelet Reinforced Vinyl Ester Nanocomposites at High-Strain Rate. Open Journal of Composite Materials, 4, 201-214. doi: 10.4236/ojcm.2014.44022.

References

[1] Gray III, G.T. (2000) Classic Split Hopkinson Bar Testing. ASM Handbook, Mechanical Testing and Evaluation, 8, 462-476.

[2] Hopkinson, B. (1914) A Method of Measuring the Pressure Produced in the Detonation of High Explosives or by the Impact of Bullets. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society London Series A, 213, 437-456. http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rsta.1914.0010

[3] Davies, R.M. (1948) A Critical Study of the Hopkinson Pressure Bar. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London Series A, Mathematical and Physical Sciences, 240, 375-457.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rsta.1948.0001

[4] Kolsky, H. (1949) An Investigation of the Mechanical Properties of Materials at Very High Rates of Strain. Proceedings of the Physical Society, Section B, 62, 676-700. http://dx.doi.org/10.1088/0370-1301/62/11/302

[5] Harding, J., Wood, E.O. and Campbell, J.D. (1960) Tensile Testing of Materials at Impact Rates of Strain. Journal of Mechanical Engineering Science, 2, 88-96.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1243/JMES_JOUR_1960_002_016_02

[6] Lindholm, U.S. and Yeakley, L.M. (1968) High Strain-Rate Testing: Tension and Compression. Experimental Mechanics, 8, 1-9. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/BF02326244

[7] Albertini, C. and Montagnani, M. (1974) Mechanical Properties at High Rates of Strain. Institute of Physics, London, 22.

[8] Kawata, K., Hashimoto, S., Kurokawa, K. and Kanayama, N. (1979) A New Testing Method for the Characterization of Materials in High-Velocity Tension. The Institute of Physics, 47, 71-80.

[9] Nicholas, T. (1980) Tensile Testing of Materials at High Rates of Strain. Experimental Mechanics, 21, 177-185. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/BF02326644

[10] Rajendran, A.M. and Bless, S.J. (1986) Determination of Tensile Flow Stress beyond Necking at Very High Strain Rate. Experimental Mechanics, 26, 319-323. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/BF02320146

[11] Staab, G.H. and Gilat, A. (1991) A Direct-Tension Split Hopkinson Bar for High-Strain Rate Testing. Experimental Mechanics, 31, 232-235. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/BF02322543

[12] Li, M., Wang, R. and Han, M.B. (1993) A Kolskey Bar: Tension, Tension-Tension. Experimental Mechanics, 33, 7-14. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/BF02322543

[13] Melin, L.G., Stahle, P. and Sundin, K.G. (1998) High Strain Rate Tensile Using Microscopic High Speed Photography. 11th International Conference on Experimental Mechanics, Oxford, 24-28 August 1998, 175-179.

[14] Chen, W., Lu, F. and Cheng, M. (2002) Tension and Compression Tests of Two Polymers under Quasi-Static and Dynamic Loading. Polymer Testing, 21, 113-121. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0142-9418(01)00055-1

[15] Sharma, A., Shukla, A. and Prosser, R.A. (2002) Mechanical Characterization of Soft Materials Using High Speed Photography and Split Hopkinson Pressure Bar Technique. Journal of Materials Science, 37, 1005-1017. http://dx.doi.org/10.1023/A:1014308216966

[16] Gilat, A., Goldberg, R.K. and Roberts, G.D. (2005) Strain Rate Sensitivity of Epoxy Resin in Tensile and Shear Loading. NASA/TM—2005-213595, 1-33.

[17] Owens, A.T. and Tippur, H.V. (2009) A Tensile Split Hopkinson Bar for Testing Particulate Polymer Composites under Elevated Rates of Loading. Experimental Mechanics, 47, 799-811.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11340-008-9192-7

[18] Chen, R., Dai, F., Lu, L., Lu, F. and Xia, K. (2010) Determination of Dynamic Tensile Properties for Low Strength Brittle Solids. Experimental and Applied Mechanics, 6, 321-326.

[19] (2011) Resin Systems for Use in Fiber-Reinforced Composite Materials. Vinyl Ester Resin, Article ID: 986, Source: SP Systems. http://www.azom.com/

[20] Ashland Inc. (2011) DERAKANE 510A-40 Epoxy Vinyl Ester Resin. Technical Datasheet, Document 1775V2 F2, Language EN V1, Approved 2008-9-8: 1-4.

[21] Shivakumar, K.N., Swaminathan, G. and Sharpe, M. (2006) Carbon Vinyl Ester Composites for Enahanced Performance in Marine Applications. Journal of Reinforced Plastics and Composites, 25, 1101-1116. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0731684406065194

[22] Chung, D.D.L. (1987) Exfoliation of Graphite. Journal of Material Science, 22, 4190-4198.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/BF01132008

[23] Yoshida, A., Hishiyama, Y. and Inagaki, M. (1991) Exfoliated Graphite from Various Intercalation Compounds. Carbon, 29, 1227-1231. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0008-6223(91)90040-P

[24] Giannelis, E.P. (1996) Polymer Layered Silicate Nanocomposites. Advanced Materials, 8, 29-35. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/adma.19960080104

[25] Auad, M.L.P., Frontini, M., Borrajo, J. and Aranguren, M.I. (2001) Liquid Rubber Modified Vinyl Ester Resins: Fracture and Mechanical Behavior. Polymer, 42, 3723-3730.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0032-3861(00)00773-4

[26] Celzard, A., Schneider, S. and Marêché, J.F. (2002) Densificaton of Expanded Graphite. Carbon, 40, 2185-2191. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0008-6223(02)00077-5

[27] Toshiaki, E., Masatsugu, S. and Morinobu, E. (2003) Graphite Intercalation Compounds and Applications. Oxford University Press, Inc., New York.

[28] Frohlich, J., Thomann, R. and Mülhaupt, R. (2003) Toughened Epoxy Hybrid Nanocomposites Containing both an Organophilic Layered Silicate Filler and a Compatibilized Liquid Rubber. Macromolecules, 36, 7205-7211. http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/ma035004d

[29] Yasmin, A. and Daniel, I. (2004) Mechanical and Thermal Properties of Graphite Platelet/Epoxy Composites. Polymer, 45, 8211-8219. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.polymer.2004.09.054

[30] Fukushima, H. and Drzal, L.T. (2004) Graphite Nanoplatelets as Reinforcement for Polymers: Structural and Electrical Properties. Proceedings of 17th International Conference on American Society for Composites.

[31] Balakrishnan, S., Start, P.R., Raghavan, D. and Hudson, S.D. (2005) The Influence of Clay and Elastomer Concentration on the Morphology and Fracture Energy of Preformed Acrylic Rubber Dispersed Clay Filled Epoxy Nanocomposites. Polymer, 46, 11255-11262.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.polymer.2005.10.053

[32] Drzal, L.T. and Fukushima, H. (2006) Exfoliated Graphite Nanoplatelets (Xgnp): A Carbon Nanotube Alternative. The Nanotechnology Conference, Boston, 7-11 May 2006.

[33] Lu, J., Do, I., Drzal, L.T., Worden, R.M. and Lee, I. (2008) Nanometal-Decorated Exfoliated Graphite Nanoplatelet Based Glucose Biosensors with High Sensitivity and Fast Response. ACS Nano, 2, 1825-1832. http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/nn800244k

[34] Magableh, A. (2010) Viscoelastic and Shock Response of Nanoclay and Graphite Platelet Reinforced Vinyl Ester Nanocomposites. Ph.D. Dissertation, Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Mississippi, Oxford.

[35] Mantena, P.R., Cheng, A.H.D., Al-Ostaz, A. and Rajendran, A.M. (2010) Blast and Impact Resistant Composite Structures for Navy Ships. Proceedings of Marine Composites and Sandwich Structures, Office of Naval Research—Solid Mechanics Program Review, Adelphi, 27-29 September 2010.

[36] Pramanik, B. and Mantena, P.R. (2011) Viscoelastic Response of Graphite Platelet and CTBN Reinforced Vinyl Ester Nanocomposites. Materials Sciences and Applications, 2, 1667-1674.
http://dx.doi.org/10.4236/msa.2011.211222

[37] Pramanik, B. and Mantena, P.R. (2012) Energy Absorption of Nano-Reinforced and Sandwich Composites in Ballistic and Low-Velocity Punch-Shear. Open Journal of Composite Materials, 2, 87-96. http://dx.doi.org/10.4236/ojcm.2012.23010

[38] Pramanik, B., Tadepalli, T. and Mantena, P.R. (2012) Surface Fractal Analysis for Estimating the Fracture Energy Absorption of Nanoparticle Reinforced Composites. Materials, 5, 922-936.
http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ma5050922

[39] Carneiro, F.L.L.B. and Barcellos, A. (1953) Resistance a La Traction Des Betons. Bulletin RILEM, 13, 97-108.

[40] Akazawa, T. (1953) Tension Test Method for Concretes. Bulletin RILEM, 16, 13-23.

[41] Thimoshenko, S. and Goodier, J.N. (1951) Theory of Elasticity. McGraw-Hill Book Co., Inc., New York, 107-111.

[42] Pramanik, B. (2013) High-Strain Rate Tensile Characterization of Graphite Platelet Reinforced Vinyl Ester Nanocomposites Using Split-Hopkinson Pressure Bars. Ph.D. Dissertation, Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Mississippi, Oxford.

[43] Pramanik, B. and Mantena, P.R. (2014) Strain Rate Dependent Ductile-to-Brittle Transition of Graphite Platelet Reinforced Vinyl Ester Nanocomposites. Advances in Materials Science and Engineering, 2014, Article ID: 765698. http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2014/765698

[44] Precision Ground Bars (2013) Grinding Services—Boston Centerless.
http://www.bostoncenterless.com/

[45] Awaji, H. and Sato, S. (1979) Diametral Compressive Testing Method. Journal of Engineering Materials and Technology, 101, 139-147. http://dx.doi.org/10.1115/1.3443665

[46] Wang, Q.Z., Jia, X.M., Kou, S.Q., Zhang, Z.X. and Lindqvist, P.A. (2004) The Flattened Brazilian Disc Specimen Used for Testing Elastic Modulus, Tensile Strength and Fracture Toughness of Brittle Rocks: Analytical and Numerical Results. International Journal of Rock Mechanics & Mining Sciences, 41, 245-253. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S1365-1609(03)00093-5

[47] Wertheimer (1912) Experimentelle Studien über Das Sehen Von Bewegung. Zeitschriftfür Psychologie, 61, 161-265.

[48] Chen, R., Xia, K., Dai, F., Lu, F. and Luo, S.N. (2009) Determination of Dynamic Fracture Parameters Using a Semi-Circular Bend Technique in Split Hopkinson Pressure Bar Testing. Engineering Fracture Mechanics, 101, 1268-1276. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.engfracmech.2009.02.001

[49] Frew, D.J., Forrestal, M.J. and Chen, W. (2002) Pulse Shaping Techniques for Testing Brittle Materials with a Split Hopkinson Pressure Bar. Experimental Mechanics, 42, 93-106.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/BF02411056

[50] Chen, R., Dai, F., Qin, J. and Lu, F. (2013) Flattened Brazilian Disc Method for Determining the Dynamic Tensile Stress-Strain Curve of Low Strength Brittle Solids. Experimental Mechanics, 53, 1153-1159. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11340-013-9733-6

[51] (2008) ASTM Standard D 638-08. Standard Test Method for Tensile Properties of Plastics. ASTM International.

[52] Yi, F., Zhu, Z., Zu, F., Hu, S. and Yi, P. (2001) Strain Rate Effects on the Compressive Property and the Energy-Absorbing Capacity of Aluminum Alloy Foams. Materials Characterization; 47, 417-422.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S1044-5803(02)00194-8