Lateral stress measurements in a shock loaded silicon carbide: Shear strength and delayed failure

The shock response of a silicon carbide has been investigated using the methods of plate impact. Results show the presence of failure at the impact face, in common with other brittle materials, including glasses, alumina and other silicon carbides. Analysis of the measured. shear strengths, both ahead of and behind the failure front, shows close agreement with the measured shear strengths in other silicon carbides. There is also close agreement with those values determined using a simple elastic analysis.