Date of Award
2026
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Science in Engineering (MSE)
Department
Mechanical Engineering
Committee Chair
Nathan Spulak
Committee Member
Judith Schneider
Committee Member
Nicholas Ginga
Research Advisor
Nathan Spulak
Subject(s)
Polymers, Polymides, Strains and stresses
Abstract
Soft polymeric materials exhibit strain sensitive behaviors and are used in various applications where dynamic loading conditions may be present, making understanding the responses at high rates vital to safe application. Investigation of the mechanical response of soft materials at high strain rates has proven challenging due to low forces, mismatching impedances, and longer times to obtain dynamic force equilibrium limiting the quality and accuracy of data acquisition. Two polymeric materials were evaluated in this study. The first is polymer-bonded explosive (PBX) 9501, which experiences dynamic loading during use as solid propellant and warhead explosive material. It is found that a PBX simulant exhibits strain rate sensitivity under different loading modes. The second is a polyimide aerogel that is of interest to aerospace applications, particularly as combined insulation and orbital debris shielding. The specific energy absorption (SEA) extrapolation shows itself to be a promising method of determining the actual peak SEA of materials using dynamic split-Hopkinson pressure bar tests.
Recommended Citation
Solomon, Benjamin Jeffrey, "High strain rate behavior of soft polymeric materials : polymer-bonded explosive simulants and polyimide aerogels" (2026). Theses. 830.
https://louis.uah.edu/uah-theses/830