Abstract
Swaminathan and Rajagopalan (S and R) have recently published a parameter study describing the dependence of important detonation characteristics of CHNO explosives on their densities and enthalpies of formation which is seriously inconsistent with earlier highly reliable calculations by Mader using the same equation of state and presumably the same input information. S and R's computer‐based conclusions are also not in accord with parametric relationships established over a decade ago by Johansson and Persson and Kamlet and Jacobs. S and R's calculated detonation pressures are significantly lower at high loading densities and higher at lower loading densities than Mader's corresponding calculations. Also out of line on the high side (compared with Mader's calculations or experimentally observed values) are S and R's calculated detonation velocities. The differences between S and R's parametric relationships and those of the other workers can have important and misleading implications to the planning of future explosives chemistry research. It is suggested to those interested in such parametric studies that the simplified method for detonation property calculation be used, since the input information is explicit and easily checked and the results are at least as reliable as those from complex computer programs.