Experimental and finite element modeling of vinyl ester nanocomposites under blast and quasi‐static flexural loading

Materials used in blast, penetration, and impact loaded structural applications require high strength and toughness under high strain rate loading. 510A‐40 brominated bisphenol‐A‐based vinyl ester resin was developed and reinforced with different loadings of nanoclay and exfoliated graphite platelet to produce composites with optimal flexural rigidity, vibration damping, and enhanced energy absorption. As these reinforced polymeric materials are viscoelastic in principle, the mechanical behavior was characterized under two extremes of strain rate loading. In this article, the macroscopic response of brominated vinyl ester reinforced with 1.25 and 2.5 wt % nanoclay and exfoliated graphite platelet is considered. Air‐blast experiment was conducted by subjecting these specimens to a high‐transient pressure in a shock‐tube with flexural loading configuration. The axial response was investigated quasi‐statically in a uniaxial tension/compression test and dynamically in a compression Split‐Hopkinson bar test. The servo‐hydraulic MTS system was used to simulate the shock‐tube testing in a flexural quasi‐static loading configuration. High strain rate properties obtained from shock‐tube experiment are compared with that of characterized under the simulated quasi‐static flexural loading. Further, a computational finite element analysis model was developed in ANSYS LSDYNA to predict with reasonable accuracy the dynamic response of shock‐loaded nanoreinforced specimens. Drop in both failure strain and energy absorption was observed with the addition of nanoparticles to pristine vinyl ester. However, an improvement in energy absorption was observed in case of shock‐tube loading at high strain rates as compared to that loaded quasi‐statically. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci., 2012