Characterization of Dynamic and Quasistatic Compressive Mechanical Properties of Ice-Templated Alumina-Epoxy Composites

In recent years, bioinspired ceramic-polymer composites with multilayered architecture have drawn significant attention because of the possible synergy of strength and damage-tolerance. Polymer infiltration of ice-templated ceramics has emerged as a promising and versatile technique to develop this class of novel composites, which can be utilized for several structural applications including in high-strain rate environments. In spite of the growing interests, there is limited understanding of compressive mechanical response of ice-templating based multilayered ceramic-polymer bulk composites and investigation on their dynamic behavior is almost non-existent. Moreover, for this class of materials there is a need to understand the orientation-dependence of properties. In this study, our goal is to understand the effects of composition (ceramic to polymer ratio) and morphology of the ceramic scaffolds on the macroscopic response of the composites. Moreover, these composites will be subjected to uniaxial compressive loading in quasistatic (~10-3 s-1) and dynamic (~103 s-1) regimes. A split-Hopkinson pressure bar (SHPB) will be utilized to investigate the dynamic response of the composites. Fragments of the composite specimens were analyzed using scanning electron microscopy to study the fracture characteristics.https://digitalcommons.odu.edu/engineering_batten/1001/thumbnail.jp