Fracture of PC and PMMA cylinders in the Taylor tests

The Taylor cylinder impact test reveal different failure patterns for flat-ended cylindrical rod for two polymers, polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) and polycarbonate (PC) at different impact velocities against a steel anvil. Numerical modelling, employing an updated two-phase model with phase transitions and a time accumulated damage, shows the importance of phase transition and loading modes on the difference in the failure patterns. In experiments, the loading modes were varied with a range impact face conditions to control failure in the rod and resolve compressed regions within the recovered polymer cylinders. The combination of macroscopic high-speed photography and three-dimensional X-ray imaging with new constitutive modeling has identified and described the development of failure of the rods made from these polymers.