The response of polyether ether ketone to one-dimensional shock loading

Abstract

The behaviour of the polymer polyether ether ketone (PEEK) has been investigated under conditions of one-dimensional shock loading. This has involved measurement of the Hugoniot in terms of stress, shock velocity and particle velocity, and measurements of the lateral stress, which have been used to determine the shear strength, and its variation with shock stress. Analysis of the relationship between shock velocity and particle velocity shows a simple linear response, in common with many other materials. Shear strength has also been shown to increase with shock stress, with a break in slope at ca 1.0 GPa. Below this stress, the material appears to behave in a simple elastic manner, which suggests a Hugoniot elastic limit of 1 GPa. Shear strength has also been observed to increase significantly behind the shock front both above and below 1 GPa. This behaviour has been observed in other polymeric materials, where it was suggested that these materials were responding by a viscoplastic mechanism.