Thermal Explosion Violence of HMX-Based and RDX-Based Explosives - Effects of Composition, Confinement, and Solid Phase Using the Scaled Thermal Explosion Experiment
The Scaled Thermal Explosion Experiment (STEX) has been developed to quantify the violence of thermal explosion under well defined and carefully controlled initial and boundary conditions. Here we present results with HMX-based explosives (LX-04 and PBX-9501) and with Composition B. Samples are 2 inches (50 mm) in diameter and 8 inches (200 mm) in length, under confinement of 7,500-30,000 psi (50-200 MPa), with heating rates of 1-3 C/hr. We quantify reaction violence by measuring the wall velocity in the ensuing thermal explosion, and relate the measured velocity to that expected from a detonation. Results with HMX-based explosives (LX-04 and PBX-9501) have shown the importance of confinement and HMX solid phase, with reaction violence ranging from mild pressure bursts to near detonations. By contrast, Composition B has shown very violent reactions over a wide range of conditions.
- Research Organization:
- Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- US Department of Energy (US)
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-7405-ENG-48
- OSTI ID:
- 15006365
- Report Number(s):
- UCRL-JC-145711-REV-1; TRN: US200409%%47
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: 51st JANNAF Propulsion Meeting, Lake Buena Vista, FL (US), 11/19/2002--11/21/2002; Other Information: PBD: 26 Aug 2002
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Understanding and Predicting the Thermal Explosion Violence of HMX-Based and RDX-Based Explosives - Experimental Measurements of Material Properties and Reaction Violence
Thermal explosion violence of HMX-based explosives -- effect of composition, confinement and phase transition using the scaled thermal explosion experiment