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A Kolsky Torsion Bar Technique for Characterization of Dynamic Shear Response of Soft Materials

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Abstract

A novel Kolsky torsion bar technique is developed and successfully utilized to characterize the high strain rate shear response of a rate-independent end-linked polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) gel rubber with a shear modulus of about10 KPa. The results show that the specimen deforms uniformly under constant strain rate and the measured dynamic shear modulus follows reasonably well the trend determined by dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) at lower strain rates. For comparison, Kolsky compression bar experiments are also performed on the same gel material with annular disk specimens. The dynamic moduli obtained from compression experiments, however, are an order of magnitude higher than those obtained by the torsional technique, due to the pressure caused by the radial inertia and end constraints.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Materials Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA

    X. Nie (SEM member)

  2. School of Chemical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA

    R. Prabhu & J. M. Caruthers

  3. School of Aeronautics and Astronautics and School of Materials Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA

    W. W. Chen (SEM member)

  4. US Army Research Laboratory, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Aberdeen, MD, 21005, USA

    T. Weerasooriya (SEM member)

Authors
  1. X. Nie
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  2. R. Prabhu
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  3. W. W. Chen
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  4. J. M. Caruthers
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  5. T. Weerasooriya
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Correspondence to X. Nie.

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Nie, X., Prabhu, R., Chen, W.W. et al. A Kolsky Torsion Bar Technique for Characterization of Dynamic Shear Response of Soft Materials. Exp Mech 51, 1527–1534 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11340-011-9481-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11340-011-9481-4

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