Shock response of periodic interpenetrating phase composites

Abstract

In this work, we examine the macroscale and fine-scale shock responses of interpenetrating phase composites comprising a body-centered cubic steel lattice embedded in an aluminum matrix. Through plate impact simulations, we find that the complex mesoscale geometry reduces shock velocity relative to monolithic constituents, slowing and spreading the shock front via reflection and redirection. The periodicity of the mesoscale composite geometry is also reflected by quasi-steady-wave behavior. On the fine-scale, we can predict several aspects of the oscillatory pressure and longitudinal velocity responses by tracking internal wave reflections. We also observe that the post-shock maximum temperature increases with structural openness and temperature hotspots form at interfaces parallel to the shock direction. The findings in this work provide novel structure–property linkages in the dynamic response of architectured interpenetrating phase composites.