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Towards Next Generation TATB-based Explosives by Understanding Voids and Microstructure from 10 nm to 1 cm

Conference ·
OSTI ID:965958
TATB-based explosives have been investigated on length scales spanning several orders of magnitude, from just under 10 nm to larger than 1 cm. This has been accomplished using a combination of ultra-small angle x-ray scattering (USAXS), ultra-small angle neutron scattering (USANS), and x-ray computed tomography (XRCT). USAXS determines distributions the smallest structures including hot-spot voids from hundreds of nanometers to a few microns, USANS extends this range to about 10 microns, and two variants of XRCT cover sizes from microns to centimeters. Several examples are presented for LX-17, a triaminotrinitrobenzene based plastic bonded explosive using Kel-F 800. As an extension of previous USAXS results, in these proceedings, an alternate binder results in a more uniform microstructure for the PBX, useful towards design of next-generation TATB-based explosives. These data are an important step to understanding microstructural mechanisms that affect the mechanical properties of TATB-based explosives, and provide complete a comprehensive characterization of the structure of LX-17 from nanometers to centimeters that can be used as empirical input to computational models of detonation, and in determining the relationship between voids and microstructure to detonation properties.
Research Organization:
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Livermore, CA
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE
DOE Contract Number:
W-7405-ENG-48
OSTI ID:
965958
Report Number(s):
LLNL-PROC-411719
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English