Porous HMX initiation studies{emdash}sugar as an inert simulant
- Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545 (United States)
For several years we have been using magnetic particle velocity gauges to study the shock loading of porous HMX (65 and 73{percent} TMD) of different particle sizes to determine their compaction and initiation characteristics. Because it has been difficult to separate the effects of compaction and reaction, an inert simulant was needed with properties similar to HMX. Sugar was selected as the simulant for several reasons: 1) the particle size distribution of C & H granulated sugar is similar to the coarse HMX we have been using (120 {mu}m average size), 2) the particle size of C & H confectioners (powdered) sugar is similar to the fine HMX in the studies (10 {mu}m average size), 3) it is an organic material, and 4) sugar was readily available. Because the densities of HMX and sugar are somewhat different, we chose to do the experiments on sugar compacts at 65 and 73{percent} TMD. As expected, no reaction was observed in the sugar experiments. Compaction wave profiles were similar to those measured earlier for the HMX, i.e., the compaction waves in the coarse sugar were quite disperse while those in the fine sugar were much sharper. This indicates that the compaction wave profiles are controlled by particle size and not reaction. Also, the coarse sugar gauge signals exhibited a great deal of noise, thought to be the result of fracto-emission. {copyright} {ital 1998 American Institute of Physics.}
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE
- OSTI ID:
- 302806
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-970707--
- Journal Information:
- AIP Conference Proceedings, Journal Name: AIP Conference Proceedings Journal Issue: 1 Vol. 429; ISSN 0094-243X; ISSN APCPCS
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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