Dynamic Compression Strength of Ceramics: What was Learned from an Interlaboratory Round Robin Exercise?

• Published in: Journal of dynamic behavior of materials Vol. 7; no. 1; pp. 34 - 47
• Main Authors: Swab, J. J., Chen, W., Hogan, J., Liao, H., Lo, C., Mates, S., Meredith, C., Pittari, J. J., Rhorer, R., Quinn, G. D.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cham Springer International Publishing 01-03-2021; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Aluminum oxide; Ceramics; Chemistry and Materials Science; Compression tests; Compressive strength; Laboratories; Materials Science; Metallic Materials; Research Paper; Solid Mechanics; Specimen geometry; Split Hopkinson pressure bars; Dumbbell specimen; Interlaboratory study; Dynamic compression strength; Round robin exercise; Ceramics; Split-hopkinson pressure bar; Alumina
• ISSN: 2199-7446; 2199-7454
• DOI: 10.1007/s40870-020-00264-6

The dynamic compressive strength of a commercial alumina was determined by five participants using the Split-Hopkinson pressure bar (SHPB) method with a dumbbell-shaped specimen. Each participant used their own SHPB test apparatus and imaging set-up to conduct the tests and capture the fracture process. The dumbbell-shaped specimen was designed to increase the likelihood of fracture commencing in the specimen gage section rather than at the interface of the specimen and the SHPB bars. The participants had a good success rate (between 40 and 80%) of tests being deemed valid, even though this was the first time several of the participants had used this specimen geometry. The average dynamic compression strength from the five participants were in excellent agreement with each other and ranged from 4.40 to 4.92 GPa with a grand average of 4.61 GPa ± 0.25 GPa (the average of the laboratory averages). The high success rate and remarkable consistency of the results show that the dumbbell-shaped specimen is the most optimum specimen geometry investigated to-date to determine the dynamic compression strength of advanced ceramics using the SHPB test methodology.