Dynamic tensile characterization of pig skin

The strain-rate dependent response of porcine skin oriented in the fiber direction is explored under tensile loading. Quasi-static response was obtained at strain rates in the range of 10-3s-1to 25 s-1. Characterization of the response at even greater strain rates is accomplished by measuring the spatio-temporal evolution of the particle velocity and strain in a thin strip subjected to high speed impact loading that generates uniaxial stress conditions. These experiments indicate the formation of shock waves; the shock Hugoniot that relates particle velocity to the shock velocity and the dynamic stress to dynamic strain is obtained directly through experimental measurements, without any assumptions regarding the constitutive properties of the material.