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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Study of nano-nitramine explosives:preparation,sensitivity and application

Nano-nitramine explosives(RDX.HMX.CL-20) are produced on a bi-directional grinding mill.The scanning electron microscope(SEM)observations show that the prepared particles are semi-spherical,and the narrow size distributions are characterized using the laser particle size analyzer.Compared with the micron-sized samples,the nano-products show obvious decrease in friction and impact sensitivities.In the case of shock sensitivities,nano-products have lower values by 59.9%(RDX),56.4%(HMX),and 58.1%(CL-20),respectively.When nano-RDX and nano-HMX are used in plastic bonded explosives(PBX) as alternative materials of micron-sized particles,their shock sensitivities are significantly decreased by 24.5%(RDX) and 22.9%(HMX),and their detonation velocities are increased by about 1.7%.Therefore,it is expected to promote the application of nano-nitramine explosives in PBXs and composite modified double-based propellants(CMDBs) so that some of their properties would be improved.

Effect of the Al/O ratio on the Al reaction of aluminized RDX-based explosives

Aluminum（Al） powders are used in composite explosives as a typical reducing agent for improving explosion performance. To understand energy release of aluminum in aluminized RDX-based explosives, a series of thermal measurements and underwater explosion（UNDEX） experiments were conducted. Lithium fluoride（LiF） was added in RDX-based explosives, as a replacement of aluminum, and used in constant temperature calorimeter experiments and UNDEXs. The influence of aluminum powder on explosion heat（Qv） was measured. A rich supply of data about aluminum energy release rate was gained. There are other oxides（CO2, CO, and H2O） in detonation products besides alumina when the content of RDX is maintained at the same levels. Aluminum cannot fully combine with oxygen in the detonation products. To study the relationship between the explosive formulation and energy release, pressure and impulse signals in underwater experiments were recorded and analyzed after charges were initiated underwater. The shock wave energy（Esk）, bubble energy（Eb）, and total energy（Et） monotony increase with the Al/O ratio, while the growth rates of the shock wave energy,bubble energy, and total energy become slow.

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.

Research of detonation products of RDX/Al from the perspective of composition

Aluminized explosives exhibit excellent performance because the oxidation of aluminum(Al)powders enhances the pressure and temperature of detonation products.However,the equation of state(EOS)of detonation products has not been understood well.In the present study,we conducted long-time tests(approximately 1 ms)of a metal rod driven by detonation products of RDX,RDX/Li F,and RDX/Al.In addition,we used laser velocimetry(PDV)to measure the freesurface velocity of the rod.Thermochemical code DLCHEQ was successfully applied to the hydrodynamic program SSS to perform the roddriven test,and a novel method was established to study the EOS of detonation products from the perspective of composition.The reliability of DLCEHQ was validated by a small deviation(<10%)between the experimental rod free-surface velocity of RDX and the calculated results;the deviation was considerably less than that from the results obtained using the JWL EOS and ideal-gas EOS.The endothermic process and the reaction of Al powders(Al+H_(2)O+NO+CO_(2)→CO+H_(2)+N_(2)+Al_(2)O_(3))were analyzed by calculating the rod free-surface velocity of RDX/Li F and RDX/Al,respectively.The results of the present study demonstrated that the thermodynamic state of Al powders has notable influence on the EOS of aluminized detonation products,and the findings were compared with those of previous studies.First,the temperature equilibrium between Al powders and CHNO products is not always achieved,and the disequilibrium is more obvious when the reaction of Al powders is stronger.Second,the reaction rate of Al powders depends on pressure and Al content.Finally,the endothermic process of Al powders has a high contribution to the decrease in the work ability of RDX/Al instead of the gasconsumption mechanism of the Al reaction.More than half of the reaction heat of Al powders is used to heat itself,whereas the gas consumption during the reaction is negligible.

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.

A quasi-isentropic model of a cylinder driven by aluminized explosives based on characteristic line analysis

A quasi-isentropic study on the process of driving a cylinder with aluminized explosives was carried out to examine the influence of the aluminum(Al) reaction rate on cylinder expansion and the physical parameters of the detonation products. Based on the proposed quasi-isentropic hypothesis and relevant isentropic theories, the characteristic lines of aluminized explosives driving a cylinder were analyzed,and a quasi-isentropic model was established. This model includes the variation of the cylinder wall velocity and the physical parameters of the detonation products with the Al reaction degree. Using previously reported experimental results, the quasi-isentropic model was verified to be applicative and accurate. This model was used to calculate the physical parameters for cylinder experiments with aluminized cyclotrimethylenetrinitramine explosives with 15.0 % and 30.0 % Al content. The results show that this quasi-isentropic model can be used not only to calculate the cylinder expansion rule or Al reaction degree, but also to calculate the physical parameters of the detonation products in the process of cylinder expansion. For explosives with 15.0 % and 30.0 % Al, 24.3 % and 18.5 % of the Al was found to have reacted at 33.9 μs and 34.0 μs, respectively. The difference in Al content results in different reaction intensity, occurrence time, and duration of two forms of reaction(diffusion and kinetic) between the Al powder and the detonation products;the post-detonation burning reaction between the Al powder and the detonation products prolongs the positive pressure action time, resulting in a continuous rise in temperature after detonation.

电爆炸金属桥箔早期过程中电磁-热-力多物理场耦合建模与分析

金属桥箔的电爆炸过程对电炮、冲击片雷管等的性能影响极为关键。这一过程中物质性质变化、几何构型和动力学过程非常复杂,早期的大量理论模拟工作均采用极为简化的物理模型。为此,建立了描述爆炸箔早期行为的三维电磁-热-固体力学耦合求解全物理模型,模拟爆炸箔在大电流加载下的早期受热膨胀过程,并对早期膨胀过程中桥箔上的磁场、电流、温度等演化进行分析,观察到电流在构型和电阻率两种因素影响下的角扩散和线扩散现象,模拟得到的桥区温度场分布与参考文献中的实验图像及模拟结果定性符合。