The Strength of two HMX based plastic bonded explosives during one dimensional shock loading

A series of experiments have been performed to probe the mechanical response of two HMX based plastic bonded explosives to one dimensional shock loading. Manganin stress gauges in longitudinal and lateral orientation to the loading axis have been used as the diagnostic. Results indicate that despite major differences in the binder phase and smaller differences in the HMX crystal loading and morphology, the Hugoniot and shear strengths behind the shock front are near identical. We have proposed that this is due to the HMX crystals forming a network that supports the bulk of the applied stress.