Shock Response of Neat APO-BMI Resin

The bismaleimide resin, APO-BMI, is typically combined with carbon or glass micro-balloons to make high-strength, high-temperature, and low-density syntactic foams. Here, we present a series of shock compression experiments on the neat, unfilled APO-BMI resin to high stress. We obtained Hugoniot states and wave profiles from optical velocimetry measurements. The wave profiles show an increase in particle velocity behind the shock front, indicating a shock-induced exothermic reaction, with kinetics that increase with stress. The experimental results are being used in the development of equations of state for neat and microballoon-filled APO-BMI.