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Title: Small-scale thermal studies of volatile homemade explosives

Journal Article · · Propellants, Explosives, Pyrotechnics
 [1];  [1];  [2];  [2];  [3];  [4];  [5];  [6];  [6]
  1. Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
  2. Naval Surface Warfare Center, Indian Head, MD (United States)
  3. Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)
  4. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Redstone Arsenal, AL (United States)
  5. Jose A. Reyes, Applied Research Assoc., Tyndall Air Force Base, FL (United States)
  6. Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)
+ Show Author Affiliations

Several homemade or improvised explosive mixtures that either contained volatile components or produced volatile products were examined using standard small-scale safety and thermal (SSST) testing that employed differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) techniques (constant heating rate and standard sample holders). KClO3 and KClO4 mixtures with dodecane exhibited different enthalpy behavior when using a vented sample holder in contrast to a sealed sample holder. The standard configuration produced profiles that exhibited only endothermic transitions. The sealed system produced profiles that exhibited additional exothermic transitions absent in the standard configuration produced profiles. When H2O2/fuel mixtures were examined, the volatilization of the peroxide (endothermic) dominated the profiles. When a sealed sample holder was used, the energetic releases of the mixture could be clearly observed. For AN and AN mixtures, the high temperature decomposition appears as an intense endothermic event. Using a nominally sealed sample holder also did not adequately contain the system. Only when a high-pressure rated sample holder was used the high temperature decomposition of the AN could be detected as an exothermic release. The testing was conducted during a proficiency (or round-robin type) test that included three U.S. Department of Energy and two U.S. Department of Defense laboratories. In the course of this proficiency test, certain HMEs exhibited thermal behavior that was not adequately accounted for by standard techniques. Our examination of this atypical behavior further highlights issues that may have not been recognized previously because some of these materials are not routinely tested. Moreover, if not recognized, the SSST testing results could lead to inaccurate safety assessments. This study provides examples, where standard techniques can be applied, and results can be obtained, but these results may be misleading in establishing thermal properties.

Research Organization:
Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA)
Grant/Contract Number:
AC52-07NA27344
OSTI ID:
1259751
Alternate ID(s):
OSTI ID: 1259756
Report Number(s):
LLNL-JRNL-669352; LLNL-JRNL-669221
Journal Information:
Propellants, Explosives, Pyrotechnics, Vol. 41, Issue 1; ISSN 0721-3115
Publisher:
WileyCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

References (11)

Variation of Methods in Small-Scale Safety and Thermal Testing of Improvised Explosives journal September 2014
Statistical Analysis of an Inter-Laboratory Comparison of Small-Scale Safety and Thermal Testing of RDX journal November 2014
ABL and BAM Friction Analysis Comparison journal December 2014
Thermal analysis of pyrotechnic compositions containing potassium chlorate and lactose journal December 1974
The DSC studies on the phase transition, decomposition and melting of potassium perchlorate with additives journal March 2001
Thermal behavior of aluminum powder and potassium perchlorate mixtures by DTA and TG journal April 2006
A Differential Scanning Calorimeter for Quantitative Differential Thermal Analysis. journal June 1964
A DSC study of the phase transformations of ammonium nitrate journal June 1982
Thermal stability and compatibility of ammonium nitrate explosives on a small and large scale journal December 1992
Thermal stability and kinetics of decomposition of ammonium nitrate in the presence of pyrite journal June 2009
Vapor-Liquid Equilibrium. VIII. Hydrogen Peroxide—Water Mixtures 1 journal August 1952

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37 INORGANIC
ORGANIC
PHYSICAL AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
small-scale safety testing
thermal screening
differential scanning calorimetry
homemade explosives
HME
round-robin test
proficiency test