PHYSICAL NATURE OF PROPELLANT SENSITIVITY

Abstract

Interphase transformations were studied with emphasis on fundamentals and their relationship to problems that exist in the explosive sensitivity of liquid propellants. Vaporization and vapor-supply mechanisms play an important role in the sensitivity of condensed-phase propellant systems but their quantitative classification and assessment are difficult to realize. A pseudo- thermodynamic vaporization coefficient, independent of rate and equipment influence was evaluated for water and introduced into the literature. Data for three other liquids, carbon tetrachloride, chlorobenzene and butanol, were statistically analyzed and results will be published. Consideration of chemical reaction analogs of this treatment was limited. A mechanism, namely, the fracture of a liquid system under hydrostatic tensile forces is proposed by which liquid systems can vaporize or supply vapor in an explosive fashion. Preliminary verification of this mechanism for liquids in states of negative pressure was obtained and supplemented by related experiments with flashlamp heated gas-black surfaces in contact with both inert and reactive liquids.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Nov 30, 1969
Accession Number
AD0700423

Entities

People

  • Ted A. Erikson

Organizations

  • IIT Research Institute

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Biomedical
  • Counter IED
  • Energy and Power Technologies
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Air Force
  • Carbon Tetrachloride
  • Chemical Reactions
  • Chemical Synthesis
  • Chemistry
  • Coefficients
  • Critical Temperature
  • Explosives
  • Flash Lamps
  • Fluids
  • Heat Energy
  • Heat Transfer
  • Isotherms
  • Materials
  • Phase Transformations
  • Plastic Explosives
  • Thermodynamics

Fields of Study

  • Chemistry

Readers

  • Combustion science or combustion engineering.
  • Organic Chemistry
  • Systems Analysis and Design