Shock wave response of ammonium perchlorate single crystals to 6 GPa

Abstract

Plane shock wave experiments were carried out on ammonium perchlorate single crystals compressed along [210] and [001] orientations to peak stresses ranging from 1.2 to 6.2 GPa. Quartz gauge and velocity interferometer techniques were used to measure the elastic and plastic shock wave velocities, and stress and particle velocity histories in the shocked samples. The measured Hugoniot elastic limit (HEL) was 0.48±0.09 GPa. Above the HEL and up to about 6 GPa, the data show a clear two-wave structure, indicating an elastic-plastic response. Time-dependent elastic precursor decay and plastic wave ramping are discernable and orientation dependent in the low stress data. However, the orientation dependence of the peak state response is small. Hence, data for both orientations were summarized into a single isotropic, elastic-plastic-stress relaxation model. Reasonable agreement was obtained between the numerical simulations using this model and the measured wave profiles. At a shock stress of about 6 GPa and for the time duration and crystal orientations examined, we did not observe any features that may be identified as a sustained chemical reaction or a phase transformation.