Shock compression response of poly(4-methyl-1-pentene) plastic to 985 GPa

Poly(4-methyl-1-pentene) plastic (PMP) is a hydrocarbon polymer with potential applications to inertial confinement fusion experiments and as a Hugoniot impedance matching standard for equation of state experiments. Using Sandia's Z-machine, we performed a series of flyer plate experiments to measure the principal Hugoniot and reshock states of PMP up to 985 GPa. The principal Hugoniot measurements validate density functional theory (DFT) calculations along the Hugoniot. The DFT calculations are further analyzed using a bond tracking method to understand the dissociation pathway under shock compression. Complete dissociation occurs at a compression factor similar to other sp3-hybridized, C-C bonded systems, which suggests a limiting compression for C-C bonds. The combined experimental and DFT results provide a solid basis for constructing an equation of state model for PMP.