Dynamic-tensile-extrusion of polyurea

Polyurea was investigated under Dynamic-Tensile-Extrusion (Dyn-Ten-Ext) loading where spherical projectiles were propelled at 440 to 509 ms ^-1 through a conical extrusion die with an area reduction of 87%. Momentum of the leading edge imposes a rapid tensile deformation on the extruded jet of material. Polyurea is an elastomer with outstanding high-rate tensile performance of interest in the shock regime. Previous Dyn-Ten-Ext work on semi-crystalline fluoropolymers (PTFE, PCTFE) elucidated irregular deformation and profuse stochastic-based damage and failure mechanisms, but with limited insight into damage inception or progression in those polymers. The polyurea behaved very differently; the polymer first extruded a jet of apparently intact material, which then broke down via void coalescence, followed by fibrillation and tearing of the material. Most of the material in the jet elastically retracted back into the die, and only a few unique fragments were formed. The surface texture of all failed surfaces was found to be tortuous and covered with drawn hair-like filaments, implying a considerable amount of energy was absorbed during damage progression.