High Strain-Rate Test of Sinter-Forged Cu-Cr with Split Hopkinson Pressure Bar

Abstract

Electrodes of vacuum interrupters are manufactured of sinter-forged Cu-Cr that have good electrical and mechanical characteristics. The dynamic characteristics of the sinter-forged Cu-Cr material need to be identified in order to investigate the impact behavior of the electrodes that depends on the strain-rate at the closing stroke. In this paper, a split Hopkinson pressure bar apparatus was used to acquire the dynamic material properties of the sinter-forged Cu-Cr. Experimental results are interpolated to construct the original and modified Johnson-Cook model and the Cowper-Symonds model as the constitutive relation for numerical simulation of the impact behavior of electrodes.