A Data Processing Approach for Kolsky Bar Experiments on Metallic Samples

The split Hopkinson pressure bar (Kolsky bar) is an experimental tool that has been used to characterize materials at intermediate to high strain rates since 1949. Since the genesis of this method, several investigations into the validity of the data have led to general conclusions regarding the nuances of the method that affect the outcome of the data. The goal of this work is to review the sources of error for the Kolsky bar method and implement physically driven solutions that help to aid in the standardization of processing experimental Kolsky bar data. Correction methods for longitudinal wave dispersion in both tension and compression configurations are implemented using the analytical solutions by Pochhammer and Chree, the frequency domain method by Gorham and Follansbee and Frantz, and a special implementation of spectral analysis by James F. Doyle. Other corrections include a novel pulse detection method and strain correction due to elastic punching (compression).