Numerical simulations of the compressive fracture behavior for polymer bonded explosives using phase field method

Abstract Polymer-bonded explosives (PBX) frequently encounter compressive forces, including those resulting from projectile penetration and accidental drops, throughout their operational lifespan. Utilizing the principles of variational fracture theory in conjunction with the generalized Maxwell viscoelastic constitutive framework, we have developed a viscoelastic phase field constitutive model for PBX, and the mechanical behavior of PBX under compression load is simulated. Firstly, mesh convergence was explored by comparing experimental results and determining two key parameters of the phase field model: mesh size ( h ) and length size ( l 0 ). Furthermore, the damage and failure modes of PBX under compression load were studied at a strain rate of 891/s. Additionally, through simulating the PBX compression process under different strain rate loads, the force exerted on PBX was examined by analyzing changes in the ratio of Young’s modulus between polymer matrix and explosive particles as well as variations in elastic strain energy and viscous energy during compression. The research findings offer valuable insights into the design of optimized structures, as well as enhancing transportation and storage security for high-performance PBX.