Influence of temperature on the high-strain-rate mechanical behavior of PBX 9501

High-strain-rate (2000 s{sup -1}) compression measurements utilizing a specially-designed Split-Hopkinson-Pressure Bar have been obtained as a function of temperature from -55 to +50{degree}C for the plastic-bonded explosive PBX 9501. The PBX 9501 high-strain-rate data was found to exhibit similarities to other energetic, propellant, and polymer-composite materials as a function of strain rate and temperature. The high-rate response of the energetic was found to exhibit increased ultimate compressive fracture strength and elastic loading modulus with decreasing temperature. PBX 9501 exhibited nearly invariant fracture strains of {approximately}1.5 percent as a function of temperature at high-strain rate. The maximum compressive strength of PBX 9501 was measured to increase from {approximately}55 MPa at 50{degree}C to 150 MPa at -55{degree}C. Scanning electron microscopic observations of the fracture mode of PBX 9501 deformed at high-strain revealed transgranular cleavage fracture of the HMX crystals