The Initiation of Covered Composition B by a Metal Jet

✍ Scribed by M. C. Chick; D. J. Hatt

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1983
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 620 KB
• Volume: 8
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0721-3115
• DOI: 10.1002/prep.19830080408

✦ Synopsis

Abstract

The initiation and build‐up to detonation of Composition B covered by steel barrier plates and impacted by a shaped‐charge jet has been studied. Two different barrier thicknesses were used representing strong and weak shock initiating systems. The results showed that, in both cases, a shock (designated the precursor shock) that travelled ahead of the penetrating jet and entered the explosive was roduced when the jet impacted the steel surface. The strong precursor shock from the thin barrier system produced initiation close to the explosive surface while for the weak precursor shock from the thick barrier system there was a long run to detonation (40 mm, 11 μs). In the latter case, close to the onset of detonation, a retonation was observed moving back through the previously shocked explosive which was expanding radially. These observations are used to discuss and explain some of the apparent anomalies in previously reported work. The effect of the precursor shock on the classical jet penetration theory was estimated.