A Dynamic Tensile Method Using a Modified M-Typed Specimen Loaded by Split Hopkinson Pressure Bar

Obtaining reliable dynamic mechanical properties through experiments is essential for developing and validating constitutive models in material selection and structural design. This study introduces a dynamic tensile method using a modified M-type specimen loaded by a split Hopkinson pressure bar (SHPB). A closed M-type specimen was thus employed. Finite element simulations and experiments were used to validate the design of the M-type specimen, which was fabricated using 17-4PH (precipitation hardening) stainless steel powder with a 3D (three-dimensional) selected laser melting (SLM) printer. After verifying force balance and uniform deformation in the tensile region, tensile tests were conducted across strain rates from quasi-static to a strain rate of 5900 s−1. The results demonstrated that this method effectively assessed the dynamic tensile behaviors of stainless steel at high strain rates, and achieved both ultra-high strain rates and large plastic deformation.