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Title: Understanding composite explosive energetics: 3, Reactive flow modeling of aluminum reaction kinetics in PETN and TNT

Conference ·
OSTI ID:5814921

Using Fabry-Perot interferometry techniques, we have determined that early time rate of energy release from detonating PETN and TNT explosives filled with 5 and 10 wt % of either 5 {mu}m of 18 {mu}m spherical aluminum (Al) particles. From the measured particle velocity data, we are able to infer the reaction rate of aluminum with the detonation products, and calculate the extent of reaction 1--3 {mu}s after the detonation. We observed that a substantional portion of the aluminum metal in all of the PETN and TNE formulations reacted within the timeframe of the one-dimensional experiment. In the PETN formulation filed with 5 wt % of 5 {mu}m aluminum, all of the metal reacted within 1.5 {mu}s, resulting in an increase of 22% in energy compared to pure PETN. A reactive-flow hydrodynamic model based on the Zeldovich-von Neumann-Doring (ZND) description of the reaction zone and subsequent reaction produce expansion (Taylor wave) is used to interpret the reaction rate of the aluminum particles with detonation product gases. The diffusion-controlled reaction mechanism for aluminum and the global kinetic parameters used in the model have been found to be consistent for all the PETN and TNT formulations.

Research Organization:
Lawrence Livermore National Lab., CA (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE; USDOD; USDOE, Washington, DC (United States); Department of Defense, Washington, DC (United States)
DOE Contract Number:
W-7405-ENG-48
OSTI ID:
5814921
Report Number(s):
UCRL-JC-108149; CONF-9110164-2; ON: DE92007297
Resource Relation:
Conference: 2. Beijing international symposium on pyrotechnics, Beijing (China), 28-31 Oct 1991
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English