Shock tube measurement of explosive sensitivity

✍ Scribed by M.H. Friedman

• Publisher: Elsevier Science
• Year: 1966
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 568 KB
• Volume: 10
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0010-2180
• DOI: 10.1016/0010-2180(66)90056-3

✦ Synopsis

A shock tube test is described, in which fine dusts or sprays o/explosive materials are ignited behindthe reflected shock, and the dependence o] the measured ignition delay on reflected shock temperature is determined. The test simulates the impact initiation of liquids and solids by bubble hot spots in a clean, controlled and weU-deflned ]ashion. From only a few tests, one can obtain (t) a valid measure o] the sensitivity o] the explosive, using only milligramme quantities o] material, and (2) inIormation about the physical and, in some cases, the chemical, mechanism o] the initiation o] the substance upon impact. The hot gaseous environment o] the sample is well defined through normal shock relations and the natu.re of the channel gas may be varied to study environmental effects. Test data on a number of explosives are presented and are interpreted in terms o] initiation mechanism. The experimental results suggest that hot spot temperatures required to initiate sensitive materials are between 500 ° and 800°C, and that bubble compression to ]orm hot spots is decidedly non-adiabatic.