Equivalent Weight Factors for Four Plastic Bonded Explosives: PBX-108, PBX-109, AFX-103 and AFX-702

Abstract

Four free-air, shock-front parameters, peak overpressure, positive impulse, time of arrival, and positive duration, were used to determine the equivalent weight factor for four plastic-bonded explosives; AFX-103, AFX-702, PBX-108, and PBX-109. The equivalent weight factor, a measure of explosive effectiveness relative to that of a scaled standard explosive, is the weight ratio of the weight of any subject explosive to the weight of a standard explosive (pentolite) for equal gage readings (pressure, time of arrival, etc.) at equal distances. The aluminized explosives, AFX-702 and PBX-109 were found to be more effective than the non-aluminized explosives, AFX-103 and PBX-108, over the distance interval, approximately one to eighteen meters, for which measurements were made. Theoretical computations show that the non-aluminized explosives examined have higher pressures than the aluminized explosives within ten charge radii of the explosive. An unexpectedly high-intensity electromagnetic pulse generated by the aluminized, plastic-bonded explosives made it impossible to make measurements at scaled distances less than 0.58 m/ KG(to the 1/3 power). (Author)

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Apr 01, 1978
Accession Number
ADA057754

Entities

People

  • Henry J. Goodman
  • Louis Giglio-tos

Organizations

  • Ballistic Research Laboratory

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Counter IED
  • Space
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Aluminized Explosives
  • Ammunition
  • Computer Programs
  • Computers
  • Detonations
  • Engineering
  • Explosions
  • Explosive Charges
  • Explosive Devices
  • Explosives
  • Measurement
  • Military Research
  • Munitions
  • Navy
  • Plastic Bonded Explosives
  • Plastic Explosives
  • Recording Systems

Fields of Study

  • Physics

Readers

  • Explosive Engineering.
  • Inertial Navigation Systems.
  • Marksmanship and Weaponry.