Experimental measurement of the principal isentrope for aluminum 6061-T6 to 240 GPa

Using a magnetic pressure drive, an absolute measurement of stress and density along the principal compression isentrope is obtained for solid aluminum to 240 GPa. Reduction of the free-surface velocity data relies on a backward integration technique, with approximate accounting for unknown systematic errors in experimental timing. Maximum experimental uncertainties are +/- 4.7% in stress and +/- 1.4% in density, small enough to distinguish between different equation-of-state (EOS) models. The result agrees well with a tabular EOS that uses an empirical universal zero-temperature isotherm. (c) 2006 American Institute of Physics.