Shear strength of aluminum in shock waves

Two series of experiments are conducted for determining the shear strength of shockcompressed aluminum (type AD1) at pressures of 4–16 GPa, including in loading and release waves. A saturated water solution of ZnCl₂ serves as a control material. Previous data on the shear strength of materials based on measuring the two principal stresses are refined. It is confirmed that tangential stresses in aluminum and its alloys relax in the shock front for shock amplitudes exceeding 10 GPa. The reasons for discrepancies in previous determinations of the shear strength of metals in shock waves are clarified. Translated fromFizika Goreniya i Vzryva, Vol. 35, No. 1, pp. 102–107, January–February 1999.