Mechanical properties of ceramics–cement based porous material under impact loading

•Ф 100 mm SHPB has been improved by wave shaping techniques.•Ceramics-cement based porous material (CCPM) has been prepared.•The mechanical properties of CCPM under impact loading have been studied.•The prospect of CCPM’s application has been discussed.•The relationships among the mechanics parameters of CCPM have been got.

Cementitious materials and ceramic aggregates used as basic materials, ceramics–cement based porous material (CCPM) has been prepared. Φ100 mm SHPB has been improved by wave shaping techniques, which can guarantee the availability of the tests. Quasi static compression test and impacting compression test have been carried out, the damage process of specimen under loading has been analyzed, and mechanics parameters under different strain rates have been obtained, moreover, based on this, the mechanical properties of CCPM under impact loading, including strength property, deformation property, impacting toughness, have been studied, in addition, the prospect of CCPM’s application has also been discussed. The results indicate that, the quasi static and impact compressive stress–strain curve of CCPM includes a strain plateau, which helps to better absorb energy; the dynamic strength increase factors of CCPM and the natural logarithm of relative strain rate are of a linear relationship; the relationship between the dynamic peak strain increase factors and the related strain rate can be described with an exponential linear, which shows obvious “damage softening” effect; with the increase of average strain rate, the impacting toughness of CCPM gets strengthened continuously and the impact toughness indexes are in a logarithm relationship with strain rate; CCPM is more strain rate sensitive than ordinary cement based composite materials. Thus it can be seen, CCPM possesses the advantageous mechanical properties of both porous materials and ordinary cement based composite materials. Besides, the material is easy to prepare and simple to make. Along with its high plasticity and low density, CCPM has a promising future to perform its potential advantages in engineering, especially in national defense engineering.