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The significance of grain morphology and moisture content on the response of silica sand to ballistic penetration

Accepted version
Peer-reviewed

Type

Article

Change log

Abstract

jats:pThe dynamic response of sand is of interest for a wide range of applications, from civil engineering to asteroid impact, in addition to defense and industrial processes. Granular dynamics are controlled by a complex network of intergrain force chains; yet, our understanding of how grain morphology, moisture, rate, and loading geometry affect the response to rapid compaction remains limited. Here, we show how just 1% moisture can significantly reduce penetration resistance in silica sand, while smoother-grained material—with a similar bulk density, grain size, and mineralogy—exhibits markedly improved stopping power. Cylindrical targets are impacted by spherical steel projectiles, with Digital Speckle Radiography employed to determine both the penetration depth and the sand bed displacement at a series of incremental time steps after impact. The results provide substantial insight into how slight adjustments to grain-grain contact points can affect the bulk dynamic response of brittle granular materials.</jats:p>

Description

Keywords

4005 Civil Engineering, 40 Engineering

Journal Title

Applied Physics Letters

Conference Name

Journal ISSN

0003-6951
1077-3118

Volume Title

115

Publisher

AIP Publishing

Rights

All rights reserved