Equation of state of aluminum-iron oxide-epoxy composite

We report on the measurements of the shock equation of state (Hugoniot) of an Al/Fe2O3/epoxy composite, prepared by epoxy cast curing of powder mixtures. Explosive loading, with Baratol, trinitrotoluene (TNT), and Octol, was used for performing experiments at higher pressures, in which case shock velocities were measured in the samples and aluminum, copper, or polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) donor material, using piezoelectric pins. The explosive loading of the metal donors (aluminum and copper) will be discussed. Gas gun experiments provide complementary lower pressure data in which piezoelectric polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) stress gauges were used to measure the input and propagated stress wave profiles in the sample and the corresponding shock propagation velocity. The results of the Hugoniot equation of state are compared with mesoscale finite-element simulations, which show good agreement. (c) 2007 American Institute of Physics.