DOI: 10.1051/jp4:2006134128 Some experiments on adiabatic shear failure

Abstract. Dynamic testing of statically pre-deformed specimens of Ti6Al4V shows that the total strain to failure increases with the level of pre-strain. Furthermore, interrupted and various other dynamic tests on Ti6AL4V show that the temperature rise prior to localization has only a minor influence on adiabatic shear band (ASB) formation. For all the tests, the calculated dynamic deformation energy until ASB formation is found to be relatively constant. This indicates that adiabatic shear banding is dependent almost solely on dynamic deformation processes, with quasi-static and thermal effects prior to localization being very marginal. We suggest the concept of a constant dynamic mechanical energy (toughness) as a quantitative criterion for ASB formation. Physically, this concept is related to the dynamic stored energy of cold work. Adiabatic shear failure is a well know failure mechanism that is uniquely experienced in dynamic loading situations [1, 2]. The homogeneous deformation tends to localize into a narrow band followed by catastrophic failure. Because of the typical short time scales involved, the phenomenon is considered to be adiabatic with large temperature increases, especially inside the band. Many materials fail by adiabatic shear banding, in an uncontrolled manner. A vast body of literature has been dedicated to the material aspects of adiabatic shear failure [1, 2]. A basic criterion has been proposed by Zener and Hollomon [3], stating that ASB is governed by the competition between strain hardening and therma