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In-situ study of the chemically driven flow fields in initiating homogeneous and heterogeneous nitromethane explosives

Conference ·
OSTI ID:5843520

Electromagnetic gauging has been used to make in-situ measurements of particle velocity and impulse at five Lagrangian positions in nitromethane (NM) during gas-gun-driven, shock-to-detonation experiments. Homogeneous initiation experiments were conducted using NM that was chemically sensitized (using an organic base) and heterogeneous initiation experiments were done with physically sensitized NM (using silica particles). In the homogeneous initiation experiments, some of the features we observed are consistent with the classical homogeneous initiation model, however, our measurements show that the superdetonation does not form immediately after an induction time. Considerably behind the initial shock, reaction causes a wave to build up over a discernible length and this wave evolves into a superdetonation which catches the initial shock. In the heterogeneous initiation experiments, the waveforms indicated that wave growth occurs primarily in the shock front, similar to earlier observations in other heterogeneous explosives. 21 refs., 8 figs., 3 tabs.

Research Organization:
Los Alamos National Lab., NM (USA)
DOE Contract Number:
W-7405-ENG-36
OSTI ID:
5843520
Report Number(s):
LA-UR-89-602; CONF-890811-8; ON: DE89008415
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English