Dynamic damage and fracture of a conductive glass under high-rate compression: A synchrotron based study

Dynamic damage and fracture of conductive glass are investigated using a split Hopkinson pressure bar, implemented with in situ X-ray phase contrast imaging (XPCI) and optical imaging for comparison. Quantitative comparison between X-ray and optical images demonstrates that XPCI exhibits much higher resolution in resolving micro cracks and dynamic fracture modes. Multiple predamage and fracture modes of glass samples under dynamic loading are revealed with XPCI to depend on competing nucleation of initial flaws across scales, which give rise to a scattered fracture strength distribution. The fracture strengths increase with increasing strain rates due to accelerated crack propagation and damage growth. Quantitative gray-scale statistical analysis of XPCI and optical images yields spatial and temporal evolutions of damage. Unexpected plateaus essentially without damage growth are observed on the damage curves of glass, deviating from conventional theoretical predictions. The damage plateaus are attributed to growth, closure and re-expansion of inclined main cracks, due to interactions of stress waves with crack tips. The current results also demonstrate a reliable experimental technique for dynamic damage characterization of brittle materials.