Reexamination of the requirements to detect the failure wave velocity in SiC using penetration experiments

Data for projectile penetration of silicon carbide (SiC) from two types of experiments were combined and analyzed in previous work. Analysis of the data suggested the presence of the so-called 'failure wave' phenomenon, interpreted as the apparent increase in the strength of SiC when the penetration velocity exceeds some critical value. These data are used as the basis for the design of a new set of experiments. The objectives of these new experiments are to remove ambiguities and uncertainties that exist in the analysis and interpretation of the original data sets and thereby more definitively detect and characterize the phenomena attributed to a 'failure wave'. The design requirements for experiments to achieve the high impact velocities necessary for investigating the physical phenomenon are described