Some Considerations of Material Response Due to Liquid-Solid Impact

Abstract

The paper considers the impact process and the resulting stress distributions that occur when liquid jets and droplets impact solids. Impact pressures and velocities are determined from the Rankine-Hugoniot relations for the materials. The theory of elasticity is used to determine the stress distribution for elastic deformation in the solid during impact. Brittle materials are shown to fail first at the surface and immediately outside the loaded area. Ductile materials are found to fail first below the surface with no apparent failure on the surface. Significantly higher impact pressures are shown to cause a ductile solid to deform as a highly viscous liquid. The analytical results appear to agree with the experimental data available. Suggestions are given on how to increase the failure resistance of solids during the impact of liquid droplets and jets. A test technique is recommended to obtain additional data on the response of a solid to liquid impact.