Fracture of Lucite Cones by Shock Waves

A compressive pulse applied to the base of a cone develops a tensile tail as it propagates toward the cone apex. This tension can cause fracture of the cone perpendicular to the cone axis before the leading edge of the pulse reaches the tip. It is shown that the elementary one-dimensional wave-propagation theory for cones and a time-independent critical tensile stress fracture criterion adequately describe the fracture of lucite cones subjected to narrow rectangular compressive pulses between 1 and 7 kilobars in magnitude.