DUCTILE-BRITTLE TRANSITION BEHAVIOR OF TUNGSTEN UNDER SHOCK LOADING

The ductile-brittle transition behavior of warm-forged tungsten under shock loading conditions was examined by performing shock/soft-recover y experiments at 22 degrees C and 400 degrees C. The results of a reco very experiment at 22 degrees C indicate that shock (19 GPa)-induced s trains were accommodated by fracture processes, i.e. there were no ind ications of shock-induced plastic deformation, and the test sample was reduced to rubble. At 400 degrees C the test sample was recovered int act and the shock-induced plasticity caused deformation banding and an increase in the dislocation density of the material. The results of t hese experiments demonstrate the principle of a ductile-brittle transi tion behavior of tungsten under uniaxial shock loading conditions and indicate that explosively-driven deformation of the material studied w ill likely result in pulverization due to shock loading.