Electrostatic sensitivity of secondary high explosives

Technical Report · Sun Jun 01 00:00:00 EDT 1980

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/5375739· OSTI ID:5375739

Campos, C A

An Electrostatic Sensitivity Test System designed at Pantex was used to evaluate the secondary high explosives PETN, HMX, RDX, HNS I, HNS II and TATB. The purpose of this study was to establish test conditions for a standard electrostatic sensitivity test and measure baseline data of a few secondary explosives. Although secondary explosives are often considered quite insensitive to an electrostatic discharge, PETN, HMX, and RDX were initiated. Several external elements to the high explosive were found to have an influence on sensitivity. Initiation appeared to be dependent on the nature of the discharge current curve. Those elements recognized as having a significant effect on the results were held constant in this study. These included: distance between discharge plates; sample moisture content; material density; and system resistance, capacitance and inductance. However, no attempt was made in this study to determine the extent to which the high explosive response to electrostatic discharge is affected by these factors since such correlation is not necessary to determine relative sensitivities.

• Research Organization: Mason and Hanger-Silas Mason Co., Inc., Amarillo, TX (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: AC04-76-DP00789
• OSTI ID: 5375739
• Report Number(s): MHSMP-80-28
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

45 MILITARY TECHNOLOGY, WEAPONRY, AND NATIONAL DEFENSE
CHEMICAL EXPLOSIVES
DETONATIONS
SENSITIVITY
ELECTRIC DISCHARGES
ELECTROSTATICS
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
MOISTURE
PETN
TATB
TESTING
DATA
ESTERS
EXPLOSIVES
INFORMATION
NITRATES
NITRIC ACID ESTERS
NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
NUMERICAL DATA
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
450100* - Military Technology
Weaponry
& National Defense- Chemical Explosions & Explosives