Thermal safety characterization on PETN, PBX-9407, LX-10-2, LX-17-1 and detonator in the LLNL's P-ODTX system

Technical Report · Thu Sep 21 04:00:00 EDT 2017

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/1396199· OSTI ID:1396199

Hsu, P. C. ^[1]; Strout, S. ^[1]; Reynolds, J. G. ^[1]; Kahl, E. ^[1]; Ellsworth, F. ^[1]; Healy, T. ^[1]

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1. Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)

Incidents caused by fire and other thermal events can heat energetic materials that may lead to thermal explosion and result in structural damage and casualty. Thus, it is important to understand the response of energetic materials to thermal insults. The One-Dimensional-Time to Explosion (ODTX) system at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) has been used for decades to characterize thermal safety of energetic materials. In this study, an integration of a pressure monitoring element has been added into the ODTX system (P-ODTX) to perform thermal explosion (cook-off) experiments (thermal runaway) on PETN powder, PBX-9407, LX-10-2, LX-17-1, and detonator samples (cup tests). The P-ODTX testing generates useful data (thermal explosion temperature, thermal explosion time, and gas pressures) to assist with the thermal safety assessment of relevant energetic materials and components. This report summarizes the results of P-ODTX experiments that were performed from May 2015 to July 2017. Recent upgrades to the data acquisition system allows for rapid pressure monitoring in microsecond intervals during thermal explosion. These pressure data are also included in the report.

• Research Organization: Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• DOE Contract Number: AC52-07NA27344
• OSTI ID: 1396199
• Report Number(s): LLNL--TR-739143
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY