VERIFICATION AND VALIDATION OF A NOVEL MINITURIZED KOLSKY BAR USING PUBLISHED POLYMETHYL METHACRYLATE (PMMA) DATA

The Kolsky bar experiment is used to determine material properties of various materials at high strain rates. This paper aims to use published data of Kolsky bar experiment stress versus strain results to establish a benchmarking methodology to validate and verify a novel miniaturized Kolsky bar. Creations of a Johnson-Cook plasticity and damage model are implemented into an Abaqus Finite Element simulation of a novel miniaturized Kolsky bar to simulate the mechanical material properties of polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) at high strain rates. The Finite Element simulation is proved to produce viable results through establishing proper wave propagation throughout the Kolsky bar system and replication of the Johnson-Cook plasticity model results. A comparison of experimental and simulation data will result in the declaration of the validity of the novel miniaturized Kolsky bar for PMMA and its material class. Due to the sensitivity of the experimental system, data analysis for statistical evidence is needed to prove that the experimental data matches the Johnson-Cook model prediction after a large population of properly setup experiments are performed. Future research is determined to be beneficial for establishing material properties of more elastic and ductile materials at high strain rates for biomedical purposes.