Assessing the energy release characteristics during the middle detonation reaction stage of aluminized explosives

Afterburning behind the detonation front of an aluminized explosive releases energy on the millisecond timescale,which prolong the release of detonation energy and the energy release at different stages also shows significant differences.However,at present,there are few effective methods for evaluating the energy release characteristics of the middle reaction stage of such explosives,which can have a duration of tens to hundreds of microseconds.The present work demonstrates an approach to assessing the midstage of an aluminized explosive detonation based on a water push test employing a high degree of confinement.In this method,the explosive is contained in a steel cylinder having one end closed that is installed at the bottom of a transparent water tank.Upon detonation,the gaseous products expand in one direction while forcing water ahead of them.The resulting underwater shock wave and the interface between the gas phase products and the water are tracked using an ultra-high-speed framing and streak camera.The shock wave velocity in water and the expansion work performed by the gaseous detonation products were calculated to assess the energy release characteristics of aluminized explosives such as CL-20 and RDX in the middle stage of the detonation reaction.During the middle stage of the detonation process of these aluminized explosives,the aluminum reaction reduced the attenuation of shock waves and increased the work performed by gas phase products.A higher aluminum content increased the energy output while the presence of oxidants slowed the energy release rate.This work demonstrates an effective means of evaluating the performance of aluminized explosives.

Revisiting the theoretical prediction of the explosive performance found by the Trauzl test

The Trauzl lead block test allows the determination of the approximate performance of explosives in blasting applications by measuring the volume increase(expansion)that is produced by the detonation of an explosive charge in the cavity of a lead block.In this paper,we reconsider the possibility of interpreting the Trauzl test results in terms of detonation parameters or quantities.The detonation parameters used in the analysis are calculated using the thermochemical code EXPLO5,while the hydrocode AUTODYN is used to simulate the effect of explosive charge density and reaction rate on the results of the Trauzl test.The increase in the volume of the lead block cavity was found to correlate best with the product of the detonation heat and the root of the volume of detonation products.Hydrocode simulation showed that the density of explosive charge and the rate of explosive decomposition affect the dynamics of the interaction of the detonation product and the lead block,and consequently the lead block cavity volume increase.

Deflagration to detonation transition in weakly confined conditions for a type of potentially novel green primary explosive:Al/Fe_(2)O_(3)/RDX hybrid nanocomposites

The properties of the combustion and deflagration to detonation transition(DDT)of Al/Fe_(2)O_(3)/RDX hybrid nanocomposites,a type of potentially novel lead-free primary explosives,were tested in weakly confined conditions,and the interaction of Al/Fe_(2)O_(3)nanothermite and RDX in the DDT process was studied in detail.Results show that the amount of the Al/Fe_(2)O_(3)nanothermite has a great effect on the DDT properties of Al/Fe_(2)O_(3)/RDX nanocomposites.The addition of Al/Fe_(2)O_(3)nanothermite to RDX apparently improves the firing properties of RDX.A small amount of Al/Fe_(2)O_(3)nanothermite greatly increases the initial combustion velocity of Al/Fe_(2)O_(3)/RDX nanocomposites,accelerating their DDT process.When the contents of Al/Fe_(2)O_(3)nanothermite are less than 20 wt%,the DDT mechanisms of Al/Fe_(2)O_(3)/RDX nanocomposites follow the distinct abrupt mode,and are consistent with that of RDX,though their DDT processes are different.The RDX added into the Al/Fe_(2)O_(3)nanothermite increases the latter's peak combustion velocity and makes it generate the DDT when the RDX content is at least 10 wt%.RDX plays a key role in the shock compressive combustion,the formation and the properties of the DDT in the flame propagation of nanocomposites.Compared with RDX,the fast DDT of Al/Fe_(2)O_(3)/RDX nanocomposites could be obtained by adjusting the chemical constituents of nanocomposites.

Detonation Behavior of Intermolecular Explosives EAR

In order to find out the detonation mechanism of intermolecular explosives (IMX), the EAR15 explosive is studied by the experiments and numerical modeling. The results show that EAR15 is a nonideal explosive, since in the detonation reaction zone both reacted and unreacted ammonium nitrate (AN) absorb the energy through the interface, resulting in the characteristic of nonideal detonation. In our tests, only 19%-49% active AN takes part in reaction, the rest behaves as the inert at the detonation wave front.

Microstructure and penetration behavior of electroformed copper liners of shaped charges during explosive detonation deformation

The microstructure in the electroformed copper liners of shaped charges prepared with different electrolytes was studied by Scanning Electron Microscopy （SEM） and Electron Backscattering Kikuchi Pattern （EBSP） methods. SEM observations revealed the existence of columnar grains in electroformed copper liners of shaped charges formed by electrolyte without any additive and the average grain size is about 3 μm. When an additive is introduced to the electrolyte, the grains formed in the copper liners become equiaxed and finer. EBSP results show that the columnar grain grown during electroformation has the most preferential growth direction, whereas a micro-texture does not exit in the specimen prepared by electrolyte with the additive. Further, explosive detonation deformation experiments show that penetration depth is dramatically improved when the electroformed copper liners of shaped charges exhibit equiaxed grains.

3D direct writing and micro detonation of CL-20 based explosive ink containing O/W emulsion binder

The booming development of DIW technology present an unprecedented prospect in energetic materials field and has attracted great interest due to its relative simplicity and high flexibility of manufacturing.Herein,a novel CL-20 based explosive ink formulation have been developed successfully for MEMS initiation systems via DIW technology.We designed PVA/GAP into an oil-in-water(O/W)emulsion,in the way that the aqueous solution of PVA as water phase,the ethyl acetate solution of GAP as oil phase,the combination of Tween 80 and SDS as emulsifier,BPS as a curing agent of GAP.The ideal formulation with good shear-thinning rheology properties and clear gel point was prepared using only 10 wt%emulsion.The dual-cured network formed during the curing process made the printed sample have good mechanical properties.The printed samples had satisfactory molding effect without cracks or fractures,the crystal form of CL-20 not changed and the thermal stability have improved.Deposition of explosive inks via DIW in micro-scale grooves had excellent detonation performances,which critical detonation size was 1×0.045 mm,detonation velocity was 7129 m/s and when the corner reaching 150°can still detonated stably.This study may open new avenues for developing binder systems in explosive ink formulations.

Study on Random Initiation Phenomenon for Sympathetic Detonation of Explosive

It is important to understand the characteristics of explosive sympathetic detonation for explosive safety.Sympathetic reaction test of GHL(RDX/Al/Binder)explosive charges with shell are conducted.A model of the sympathetic reaction test is established.The elements-apart method and nodes random-failure method are used in the model to describe the expansion progress of shell expanding and the randomly forming process of fragments.Random detonation phenomena of acceptor charge are simulated.

Effects of nano-sized aluminum on detonation characteristics and metal acceleration for RDX-based aluminized explosive

Nano-sized aluminum(Nano-Al)powders hold promise in enhancing the total energy of explosives and the metal acceleration ability at the same time.However,the near-detonation zone effects of reaction between Nano-Al with detonation products remain unclear.In this study,the overall reaction process of 170 nm Al with RDX explosive and its effect on detonation characteristics,detonation reaction zone,and the metal acceleration ability were comprehensively investigated through a variety of experiments such as the detonation velocity test,detonation pressure test,explosive/window interface velocity test and confined plate push test using high-resolution laser interferometry.Lithium fluoride(LiF),which has an inert behavior during the explosion,was used as a control to compare the contribution of the reaction of aluminum.A thermochemical approach that took into account the reactivity of aluminum and ensuing detonation products was adopted to calculate the additional energy release by afterburn.Combining the numerical simulations based on the calculated afterburn energy and experimental results,the parameters in the detonation equation of state describing the Nano-Al reaction characteristics were calibrated.This study found that when the 170 nm Al content is from 0%to 15%,every 5%increase of aluminum resulted in about a 1.3%decrease in detonation velocity.Manganin pressure gauge measurement showed no significant enhancement in detonation pressure.The detonation reaction time and reaction zone length of RDX/Al/wax/80/15/5 explosive is 64 ns and 0.47 mm,which is respectively 14%and 8%higher than that of RDX/wax/95/5 explosive(57 ns and 0.39 mm).Explosive/window interface velocity curves show that 170 nm Al mainly reacted with the RDX detonation products after the detonation front.For the recording time of about 10 ms throughout the plate push test duration,the maximum plate velocity and plate acceleration time accelerated by RDX/Al/wax/80/15/5 explosive is 12%and 2.9 ms higher than that of RDX/LiF/wax/80/15/5,respectively,indicating that the aluminum reaction energy significantly increased the metal acceleration time and ability of the explosive.Numerical simulations with JWLM explosive equation of state show that when the detonation products expanded to 2 times the initial volume,over 80%of the aluminum had reacted,implying very high reactivity.These results are significant in attaining a clear understanding of the reaction mechanism of Nano-Al in the development of aluminized explosives.

Research on the Low Detonation Velocity Explosives Containing Nitroesters

Some explosive mixtures detonating at low velocity were experimentally investigated. Detonation velocity and critical diameter were measured for mixtures,being different in composition and density. An attempt of physical and chemical interpretation of results obtained is also included.

Detonation Propagation Characteristics of Superposition Explosive Materials

In order to investigate detonation propagation characteristics of different charge patterns,the detonation velocities of superposition strip shaped charges made up of a detonating cord and explosives were measured by a detonation velocity measuring instrument under conditions of different ignition.The experimental results and theoretical analysis show that the maximum detonation propagation velocity depends on the explosive materials with the maximum velocity among all the explosive materials.Using detonating cord in a superposition charge can shorten detonation propagation time and improve the efficiency of explosive energy.The measurement method of detonation propagation velocity and experimental results are presented and investigated.

The Confinement Effect of Inert Materials on the Detonation of Insensitive High Explosives

The paper aims to theoretically and numerically investigate the confinement effect of inert materials on the detonation of insensitive high explosives. An improved shock polar theory based on the Zeldovich-von Neumann-Döring model of explosive detonation is established and can fully categorize the confinement interactions between insensitive high explosive and inert materials into six types for the inert materials with smaller sonic velocities than the Chapman-Jouguet velocity of explosive detonation. To confirm the theoretical categorization and obtain the flow details, a second-order, cell-centered Lagrangian hydrodynamic method based on the characteristic theory of the two-dimensional first-order hyperbolic partial differential equations with Ignition-Growth chemistry reaction law is proposed and can exactly numerically simulate the confinement interactions. The numerical result confirms the theoretical categorization and can further merge six types of interaction styles into five types for the inert materials with smaller sonic velocity, moreover, the numerical method can give a new type of interaction style existing a precursor wave in the confining inert material with a larger sonic velocity than the Chapman-Jouguet velocity of explosive detonation, in which a shock polar theory is invalid. The numerical method can also give the effect of inert materials on the edge angles of detonation wave front.

Investigation of system parameters towards safer impact based shock-to-detonation transition in a novel laser driven flyer plate prototype

Laser driven flyer plate technology offers improved safety and reliability for detonation of explosives in industrial applications ranging from mining and stone quarrying to the aerospace and defense industries.This study is based on developing a safer laser driven flyer plate prototype comprised of a laser initiator and a flyer plate subsystem that can be used with secondary explosives.System parameters were optimized to initiate the shock-to-detonation transition(SDT)of a secondary explosive based on the impact created by the flyer plate on the explosive surface.Rupture of the flyer was investigated at the mechanically weakened region located on the interface of these subsystems,where the product gases from the deflagration of the explosive provide the required energy.A bilayer energetic material was used,where the first layer consisted of a pyrotechnic component,zirconium potassium perchlorate(ZPP),for sustaining the ignition by the laser beam and the second layer consisted of an insensitive explosive,cyclotetramethylene-tetranitramine(HMX),for deflagration.A plexiglass interface was used to enfold the energetic material.The focal length of the laser beam from the diode was optimized to provide a homogeneous beam profile with maximum power at the surface of the ZPP.Closed bomb experiments were conducted in an internal volume of 10 cm^(3) for evaluation of performance.Dependency of the laser driven flyer plate system output on confinement,explosive density,and laser beam power were analyzed.Measurements using a high-speed camera resulted in a flyer velocity of 670±20 m/s that renders the prototype suitable as a laser detonator in applications,where controlled employment of explosives is critical.

Influence of Accelerated Aging on Detonation Performance of Explosives

To understand the aging effects on detonation performances of explosives,an accelerated aging mechanism and effect of explosives were analyzed.Based on the thermo-gravimetric(TG) curves of explosives under the heat rate of 5,10 and 20 K·min-1,the thermal decomposition activation energy,pre-exponential factor,mechanism function and kinetic equation of the explosives were calculated by Ozawa's equation and decomposition extents.Then,according to the derived kinetic equation,the density,composition and heat of formation of GI-1,PBX-1 and PBX-2 explosive in different decomposition extents were calculated at accelerated aging temperatures of 70 ℃ and 75 ℃,respectively.Furthermore,the detonation parameters of GI-1,PBX-1 and PBX-2 explosives were found out by means of VLWR code.The results show that after accelerated aging,the density are decrease,the detonation velocity and pressure are all decreased slightly.

In-hole velocity of detonation(VOD) measurements as a framework for the selection type of explosive

Velocity of detonation （VOD） is one of the most important properties of explosives and indicates perfor- mances of explosives in real time. With the development of blast monitoring systems, continuous VOD monitoring systems are recently available. The VOD measurement in holes helps in comparing and eval- uating relative performances of explosives. The purpose of this paper is a framework for selecting the type of explosives. This paper analyses the results of VOD measurements, carried out at the limestone quarry （Zrnotiti （~~rni kal）, Slovenia. Experiments were conducted to measure VOD in blast holes which were loaded with ANFO, heavy ANFO and emulsion explosives. The explosives are produced at the point of use with mobile equipment. In this study, resistance wire continuous VOD measurement system MicroTrap, VODSYS-4 from MREL was used and framework for selection the type of explosives has been suggested.

Measurement of the spatial specific impulse distribution due to buried high explosive charge detonation

Buried high explosive(HE) charges represent a high threat to military vehicles. The detonation of these charges can lead to significant momentum transfer onto vehicles and their occupants. A detailed understanding of the physical processes involved in the loading of vehicle structures is necessary for an optimization of effective countermeasures and protection systems. A quantitative description of the local momentum distribution on the vehicle underbody due to the detonation process is of special importance. In the following, a new test setup is presented that allows the experimental determination of the specific impulse distribution. It is based on a ring arrangement where the elements are nested into each other and the velocity of each ring is correlated with the local specific impulse at its position.The momentum transfer to a vehicle depends on a number of influencing factors such as: charge mass,embedding material(e.g. sand, gravel, clay), density, water content, saturation, depth of burial, ground clearance and vehicle shape. The presented technology is applied to quantify the influence of the embedding material(alluvial sand, quartz sand), the burial depth and the water content on the local specific impulse distribution. The obtained data can be used as initial condition for the numerical simulation of occupant safety assessment and as input for empirical modeling of momentum transfer on structures.

Reflection behavior of insensitive explosive detonation propagating around a cylinder

Insensitive explosive detonation has wide applications in compressing and driving inert materials,and thereby the interaction between detonation and inert materials has received more attention.In this paper,a two-dimensional numerical simulation based on the Euler multiphase flow framework is used to investigate the reflection behavior of the insensitive explosive detonation propagating around a cylinder.The results show that there is a critical incident angle,defined as transition angle for detonation propagating around the cylinder,below which the regular reflection(RR)on the cylinder surface is observed.When the incident angle is greater than the transition angle,RR changes to Mach reflection.This transition angle is larger than that obtained by polar curve theory and the change of incident angle is used to interpret above phenomenon.In addition,the influence of cylindrical radius and detonation reaction zone width on the reflection behavior is examined.As the cylindrical radius increases,the height of Mach stem increases while the transition angle decreases and gradually approaches the value in pole curve theory.Von Neumann reflection is observed when the reaction zone width is relatively small.This is because the energy release rate in the reaction zone is high for small reaction zone width,resulting in the formation of a series of compression waves near the cylindrical interface.

Characteristics and mechanisms of strain waves generated in rock by cylindrical explosive charges

A superposing principle, by suitably adding the strain waves from a number of concentrated explosive charges to approximate the waves generated by a cylindrical charge based on the strain wave of a point or small spherical explosive charge generated in rock, is used to further study the triggering time of strain gauges installed in radial direction at same distances but different positions surrounding a cylindrical explosive charge in rock. The duration of the first compression phase and peak value of strain wave, and furthermore, their differences are analyzed and some explanations are given. Besides that, the gauge orientation in which the maximum peak value occurs is also discussed. At last, the effect of velocity of detonation(V.O.D.) of a cylindrical explosive charge on the strain waves generated in the surrounding rock is taken as key research and the pattern of peak amplitude of a strain wave varies with the V.O.D. is likely to have been found.

Performances and direct writing of CL-20 based ultraviolet curing explosive ink

A new type of explosive ink formulation that can be quickly cured was prepared with unsaturated polyester as binder,styrene as active monomer,2,4,6-trimethylbenzoyl-diphenylphosphine oxide as photoinitiator,and hexanitrohexaazaisowurtzitane(CL-20)as the main explosive.Then the explosive inkdirect writing technology was used to charge the micro-sized energetic devices,the curing mechanism of the explosive ink was discussed,and the microstructure,safety performance and explosive transfer performance of the explosive ink molded samples were tested and analyzed.Results indicate that the composite material has a fast curing molding speed,its hardness can reach 2H within 8 min.The crystal form of CL-20 in the molded sample is still type.The CL-20 based UV-curing explosive ink formulation has good compatibility,its apparent activation energy is increased by about 3.5 kj/mol.The composite presents a significant reduction in impact sensitivity and its characteristic drop height can reach 39.8 cm,whichis about 3 times higher than the raw material.When the line width of charge is 1.0 mm,the critical thickness of the explosion can reach 0.015 mm,and the explosion velocity is 7129 m/s when the charge density is 1.612 g/cm^(3).

Effect of Center High Explosive in Dispersion of Fuel

The dispersion of the fuel due to the center high explosive, including several different physical stages, is analyzed by means of experimental results observed with a high speed motion analysis system, and the effect of center high explosive charge is suggested. The process of the fuel dispersion process can be divided into three main stages, acceleration, deceleration and turbulence. Within a certain scope, the radius of the final fuel cloud dispersed is independent of the center explosive charge mass in an FAE (fuel air explosive) device, while only dependent both on the duration of acceleration stage and on that of the deceleration. In these two stages, the dispersion of the fuel dust mainly occurs along the radial direction. There is a close relation between the fuel dispersion process and the center explosive charge mass. To describe the motion of fuel for different stages of dispersion, different mechanical models should be applied.

Enhancing the explosive characteristics of a Semtex explosive by involving admixtures of BCHMX and HMX

A well-known ternary plastic explosive,Czech Semtex 1H,contains a mixture of PETN and RDX softened by SBR.In this work,BCHMX was used to replace PETN in Semtex 1H to form Sem-BC+RDX.In addition,another mixture based on BCHMX and HMX as energetic fillers bonded by the polymeric matrix of Semtex 1H(Sem-BC+HMX)was studied.The particle size distribution of each individual explosive was determined to obtain the optimum mixing conditions.Friction and impact sensitivities were determined.The velocity of detonation was reported practically and the detonation properties were calculated by EXPLO5 code.The explosive strength of each sample was measured by the ballistic mortar test.The conclusion confirms that the velocity of detonation of Sem-BC+HMX was the highest in comparison with the prepared samples.Sem-BC+RDX has the least impact and frictions sensitivities.Sem-BC+RDX has higher detonation velocity,detonation properties and explosive strength than Semtex 1H.Addition of BCHMX in Semtex 1H as a replacement for PETN is the candidate to produce a high performance advanced Czech plastic explosive.