High strain rate characterisation of a Polymer Bonded Sugar

The mechanical properties of a polymer bonded sugar consisting of sugar crystals dispersed in an HTPB binder have been measured in a split Hopkinson pressure bar system at temperatures from +20 down to --100 \r{ }C. These experiments were supported by further tests in an Instron and DMTA apparatus. The behaviour of this material is compared to that of other polymer bonded explosives and their simulants. A major advance in these experiments was the use of X-ray tomography to examine undeformed and deformed specimens, and to qualify and quantify the damage mechanisms in this material.