Microstructural Deformation and Failure of Highly Explosive-Filled Polymer Composites Under Dynamic Compression

The dynamic mechanical properties and damage behaviors of polymer-bonded explosives (PBXs), as a kind of highly particle-filled polymer composite, must be known to ensure the safe use of related weapons and munitions. The high particle volume fraction of PBXs, which can reach approximately 95%, makes it difficult to investigate their mechanical properties and damage behavior via conventional methods. In this study, a microstructural model was developed by employing the Voronoi correction method to achieve a highly particle-filled PBX. Additionally, a bilinear model was used to accurately represent the nonlinearity of the stress-strain curve, while a zero-thickness cohesive zone model was incorporated to effectively describe the damage mechanism. The dynamic mechanical properties and damage behavior of PBXs with high particle fractions were elucidated to comprehensively understand the effects of strain rate, interface strength, and particle volume fraction on peak stress, failure strain, and damage extent. The numerical results exhibit excellent concurrence with existing experimental measurements and other computational simulations. The mechanical behavior of PBXs was also described by developing a viscoelastic model based on damage, which incorporated the equations associated with macroscopic and microscopic damage evolution. Overall, the proposed numerical technique is effective for comprehending the mechanical behavior and microscopic damage response of PBXs subjected to dynamic compression.