Los Alamos National Laboratory explosives orientation course: Sensitivity and sensitivity tests. [To impact, friction, spark, and shock]

Technical Report · Wed Jul 01 04:00:00 EDT 1987

OSTI ID:6505009

Smith, L C

The difficulties inherent in the evaluation of the safety of an explosive, and methods used to measure its sensitivity under various conditions of interest, are described and illustrated, with emphasis on procedures used at the Los Alamos National Laboratory. The principal theme of the discussion is that the word sensitivity designates not a well-defined property of an explosive, but, rather, a complex pattern of behavior. The tests described explore the response of an explosive to impact, friction, spark, and shock, and ultimately its behavior under realistic conditions of use. Results are given for a number of explosives of current interest. The report is a modified version of the script used in one of the videotapes in the Los Alamos series on explosives. 21 figs., 9 tabs.

• Research Organization: Los Alamos National Lab., NM (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-36
• OSTI ID: 6505009
• Report Number(s): LA-11010-MS; ON: DE87011261
• 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
CHEMICAL EXPLOSIVES
CORRELATIONS
EXPLOSIVES
LASL
MEASURING METHODS
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
SAFETY
SENSITIVITY
TESTING
US AEC
US DOE
US ERDA
US ORGANIZATIONS