LAUSR

Abstract Solitary wave propagation behavior within a granular crystal chain is fundamentally important for impact wave mitigation. Here, we study the propagation behavior of traveling waves in a one-dimensional (1D) mixed chain of stainless-steel and polytetrafluoroethylene dimer hollow spherical particles. The formation and propagation of a unique, highly nonlinear, solitary wave is observed. To have an in-depth understanding of the wave propagation behavior, we establish numerical theoretical models to describe the wave behavior and agree well with the experiment. We also discover that different configurations of dimer wall thicknesses largely influence not only the nonlinear contact interaction between neighboring spheres but also the physical relation of wave velocity Vs and dynamic force Fm. The influence of different ratios of elastic moduli and densities in a dimer is also studied. Results may shed light on the design and evaluation of the 1D chain for supporting specific wave propagation for possible engineering application.