Spallation modeling in tantalum

A gas gun plate impact spallation experiment has been performed on commercial purity rolled tantalum. The shock pressure achieved was about 7 Gpa and was sufficient to induce incipient spallation. The particle velocity was measured at the free surface of the spalled plate, and the spalled sample was recovered and examined metallographically using image analysis. The quantitative image analysis results are being used to develop a damage model. The model is micromechanically based and involves novel void growth and coalescence processes. The 1D characteristics code CHARADE has been used in a preliminary simulation of the VISAR free surface particle velocity record. Implications for ductile damage modeling will be discussed