Shock desensitization of PBX-9404 and Composition B-3

Conference · Tue Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1985

OSTI ID:5823594

Campbell, A W; Travis, J R

PBX-9404 and Composition B-3 were desensitized by subjecting them to shocks in the pressure range 10 to 24 kbar. Results show that the collapse of voids, and thus the activation of hot spots by shock waves, takes time and may require more than 5 ..mu..s. This time is, in a way, a counterpart of the induction time for shock initiation of a homogeneous explosive. Gittings' data are adduced to extend the results to 100 kbar and to show that at high pressures desensitization occurs in a very brief time window. When the voids have been collapsed, the relatively homogeneous explosive is resistant to detonation through an Arrhenius type of reaction because of the lower shock temperature resulting from double shocking. This conclusion is supported by experiments on single crystals of HMX and by shock temperature calculations. The time required for desensitization of PBX-9404 is related to pressure by the expression p/sup 2.2/tau = 1150. 21 references, 5 figures, 5 tables.

• Research Organization: Los Alamos National Lab., NM (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-36
• OSTI ID: 5823594
• Report Number(s): LA-UR-85-1114; CONF-850706-11; ON: DE85009604
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

45 MILITARY TECHNOLOGY, WEAPONRY, AND NATIONAL DEFENSE
450100* -- Military Technology
Weaponry
& National Defense-- Chemical Explosions & Explosives
BLAST EFFECTS
CHEMICAL EXPLOSIVES
DATA
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
EXPLOSIVES
INFORMATION
NUMERICAL DATA
PRESSURE DEPENDENCE
SENSITIVITY
SHOCK WAVES
VERY HIGH PRESSURE