Shear strength of a shock-compressed aluminum composite

Results of an experimental study of the shear strength of an aluminum compo site(Al + 20% SiC) at shock wave pressures ranging between 2.3 and 22 GPa a re presented. The technique of direct monitoring the principal stress compo nents with the aid of wire manganin gauges was used. Dynamic yield now limi t defined as a difference between the principal stress components, characte rizing the shear material strength, and controlling shock Hugoniot deviatio n from the quasi-hydrostatic compression curve, is shown to be nearly const ant for the aluminum composite and equal to 0.24 GPa.