Abstract
The characterization of polymer behavior at high strain-rates is a critical area of research driven by the use of polymers as adhesives, structural components, or as binders for energetic systems. Previous investigations have successfully defined Hugoniot equations-of-state for many relevant polymers such as epoxy, polycarbonate, and polyether ether ketone [1]–[4].Several studies have also explored the ramifications of polymer viscoelasticity at high strain-rates and pressures. This has been observed as nonlinearities in both propagating stress wave structure and Hugoniot state spaces [5]–[7]. The mechanisms driving such behavior is hypothesized as the breakdown and extended time interaction of polymer-chains but is yet to be fully understood.
