Processes of Failure of Polymethyl Methacrylate under High-Velocity Impact Loading and Pulse Laser Treatment

An investigation was made of the effect of high-velocity impact loading and laser irradiation on processes of failure in polymethyl methacrylate. Under impact load, PMMA fails, with the formation of cracks and the release of large fragments. In the case of laser treatment of a PMMA target, loss of continuity of the target material occurs mainly in the near-surface regions – front and back. The maximum fractures are observed on the back surface of the target. The conducted investigations showed that, for polymethyl methacrylate, there exist differences for the different forms of treatment.