Measurements of the Dielectric Properties of Thin High-Explosive Samples Using a Parallel Plate Test Fixture
- Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)
This report presents results of a study of the dielectric properties of several high explosive materials, including Composition B, C-4, Detasheet, Semtex 1A, Semtex 1H, and Semtex 10. The capacitance and dispersion of samples up to ten mm thick were measured at 24 and 65°C using a parallel plate test fixture. In this configuration, capacitance is proportional to the real component of the complex dielectric constant (or permittivity) of the material, while the dispersion is equal to the imaginary component of the dielectric constant divided by the real component. Measurements were performed at two temperatures to determine whether these dielectric properties might be used to monitor moderate temperature changes within these materials using an external fringing field capacitor. It was found that the real dielectric constant of the high explosives generally changed by only about 1% on heating from 24 to 65°C, and that the externally measured capacitance is therefore not a reliable parameter for monitoring temperature changes in these explosives. Temperature- based changes in the dispersion were often 20% or greater, and for several materials (e.g., Composition B, Detasheet) the temperature and dispersion showed good correlation as the temperature of the explosive was cycled up and down. It is thus possible that for some high explosives the externally measured dispersion is a useful parameter for monitoring temperature changes. However, other factors may limit the usefulness of this technique, including the need to have the plates of a fringing field capacitor in direct contact with the high explosive to obtain measurements, and the limited penetration depth of the fringing field into the explosive material.
- Research Organization:
- Sandia National Laboratories (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC04-94AL85000
- OSTI ID:
- 1762981
- Report Number(s):
- SAND--2019-9082; 678137
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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