Tensile Behavior of UHMWPE Solid-State Extrusion (SSE) Film as a Function of Strain Rate

Author(s):

C Allan Gunnarsson, Stephen L Alexander, and Tusit Weerasooriya

Abstract:

UHMWPE fiber-based protection systems are widely used in blast and impact protection. Ballistic research indicates that UHMWPE film systems may provide equal protection, with greatly reduced cost. To accurately design and model protection systems using UHMWPE film, it is necessary to understand the material properties at the constituent single unidirectional film length scale. Here, experimental techniques have been developed to load UHMWPE at a range of strain rates, including high rate using a tensile Hopkinson bar. Digital image correlation was used to quantify strain in the film. The strain and loading history are used to quantify the rate dependency of the UHMWPE film Young’s modulus and strength.