Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Mechanical Properties of Ballistic Gelatin at High Deformation Rates

  • Published:
Experimental Mechanics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The characterization of soft or low impedance materials is of increasing importance since these materials are commonly used in impact and energy absorbing applications. The increasing role of numerical modeling in understanding impact events requires high-rate material properties, where the mode of loading is predominantly compressive and large deformations may occur at high rates of deformation. The primary challenge in measuring the mechanical properties of soft materials is balancing the competing effects of material impedance, specimen size, and rate of loading. The traditional Split Hopkinson Pressure Bar approach has been enhanced through the implementation of polymeric bars to allow for improved signal to noise ratios and a longer pulse onset to ensure uniform specimen deformation. The Polymeric Split Hopkinson Pressure Bar approach, including the required viscoelastic bar analysis, has been validated using independent measurement techniques including bar-end displacement measurement and high speed video. High deformation rate characterization of 10% and 20% ballistic gelatin, commonly used as a soft tissue simulant, has been undertaken at nominal strain rates ranging from 1,000 to 4,000/s. The mechanical properties of both formulations of gelatin exhibited significant strain rate dependency. The results for 20% gelatin are in good agreement with previously reported values at lower strain rates, and provide important mechanical properties required for this material.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
Fig. 10
Fig. 11
Fig. 12

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Gray GT III, Blumenthal W (2000) Split-Hopkinson pressure bar testing of soft materials. ASM handbook: Mechanical testing and evaluation 8:462–474

  2. Hopkinson J (1872) On the rupture of iron wire by a blow. Proceedings of the Manchester Literary and Philosophical Society XI, 40–45

  3. Hopkinson B (1914) A method of measuring the pressure produced in the detonation of high explosives or by the impact of bullets. Philos Trans Roy Soc London A213:437–456. doi:10.1098/rsta.1914.0010.

    Google Scholar 

  4. Kolsky H (1949) An investigation of the mechanical properties of materials at high rates of loading. Proc Phys Soc B 62:676–700. doi:10.1088/0370-1301/62/11/302.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Kolsky H (1963) Stress waves in solids. Dover Publications, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  6. Moy P, Weerasooriya T, Juliano T, VanLandingham R (2006) Dynamic Response of an Alternative Tissue Simulant, Physically Associating Gels (PAG), in Proceedings 2006 SEM Annual Conference on Experimental Mechanics, June 5–7, 2006, St. Louis, Missouri

  7. Meyers M (1994) Dynamic behavior of materials. Wiley-Interscience, New York.

    Book  MATH  Google Scholar 

  8. Chen W, Zhang B, Forrestal MJ (1999) Split Hopkinson bar techniques for low impedance materials. Exp Mech 39:81–85. doi:10.1007/BF02331109.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Chen W, Lu F, Zhou B (2000) A quartz-crystal embedded split Hopkinson pressure bar for soft materials. Exp Mech 40:1–6. doi:10.1007/BF02327540.

    Article  MATH  Google Scholar 

  10. Shergold OA, Fleck NA, Radford D (2006) The uniaxial stress versus strain response of pig skin and silicone rubber at low and high strain rates. Int J Impact Eng 32:1384–1402. doi:10.1016/j.ijimpeng.2004.11.010.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Davies RM (1948) A critical study of the Hopkinson pressure bar. Phil Trans Roy Soc London, Series A A240:375–475.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Follansbee PS, Frantz C (1983) Wave propagation in the split Hopkinson pressure bar. J Eng Mater-T ASME 105:61–66.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Pochhammer L (1876) On the propagation velocities of small oscillations in an unlimited isotropic circular cylinder. J Reine Angewandte Mathematic 81:324–336.

    Google Scholar 

  14. Chree C (1889) The equations of an isotropic elastic solid in polar and cylindrical coordinates, their solutions and applications. Cambridge Phil Soc Trans 14:250–369.

    Google Scholar 

  15. Follansbee P (1985) The hopkinson bar, metals handbook. Am SocMetals 8:198–203.

    Google Scholar 

  16. Doyle JF (1989) Wave propagation in structures-An FFT based spectral analysis methodology. Springer-Verlag, New York.

    MATH  Google Scholar 

  17. Cheng ZQ, Crandall JR, Pilkey WD (1998) Wave dispersion and attenuation in viscoelastic split Hopkinson pressure bar. Shock Vib 5:307–315.

    Google Scholar 

  18. Bacon C (1998) An experimental method for considering dispersion and attenuation in a viscoelastic Hopkinson bar. Exp Mech, 38:242–249. doi:10.1007/BF02410385.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Starratt D, Sanders T et al (2000) An efficient method for continuous measurement of projectile motion in ballistic impact experiments. Int J Impact Eng 24:155–170. doi:10.1016/S0734-743X(99)00045-7.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Davies EDH, Hunter SC (1963) The dynamic compression testing of solids by the method of the split Hopkinson pressure bar. J Mech Phys Solids 11:155–179. doi:10.1016/0022-5096(63)90050-4.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. Doman DA, Cronin DS, Salisbury CP (2006) Characterization of polyurethane rubber at high deformation rates. Exp Mech 46:367–376. doi:10.1007/s11340-006-6422-8.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. Salisbury CP (2001) Spectral Analysis of wave propagation through a polymeric Hopkinson bar. MASc Thesis. University of Waterloo, Canada

  23. Chen W, Forrestal MJ, Wright TW (2007) The effect of radial inertia on brittle samples during the split Hopkinson pressure bar test. Int J Impact Eng 34:405–411. doi:10.1016/j.ijimpeng.2005.12.001.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  24. Van Slightenhorst C, Cronin DS, Brodland GW. High strain rate compressive properties of bovine muscle tissue determined using a split Hopkinson bar apparatus. 39:1852–1858

  25. Jussila J (2004) Preparing ballistic gelatine—review and proposal for a standard method. Forensic Sci Int 141:91–98. doi:10.1016/j.forsciint.2003.11.036.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  26. Caillou JP, Dannawi M, Dubar L, Wielgosz C (1994) Dynamic behaviour of a gelatine 20% material numerical simulation. in Proceedings Personal Armour System Symposium 1994 pp 325-331

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, Canada

    C. P. Salisbury & D. S. Cronin (SEM Member)

Authors
  1. C. P. Salisbury
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. D. S. Cronin
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to C. P. Salisbury.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Salisbury, C.P., Cronin, D.S. Mechanical Properties of Ballistic Gelatin at High Deformation Rates. Exp Mech 49, 829–840 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11340-008-9207-4

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11340-008-9207-4

Keywords

Search

Navigation