Predicting High Explosive Detonation Velocities from Their Composition and Structure
Abstract
A simple, empirical linear relationship between detonation velocity at theoretical maximum density and a factor, F, that is dependent solely upon chemical composition and structure is postulated for a gamut of ideal explosives. The explosives ranged from nitroaromatics, cyclic and linear nitramines, nitrate esters and nitro-nitrato aliphatics to zero hydrogen explosives, carbonless explosives and hydrogen rich explosives. Of the 64 explosives evaluated, 72% had calculated detonation velocity values within 3% of experimental and 95% within 7%. Only mixtures of TNM and NM and TNM itself varied grossly (greater than 20%) from calculated velocities and the absolute error for all explosives is + or - 2.8%. Predicted C-J detonation pressures for 19 explosives had an absolute error of + or - 10% and when TNM was excluded, an absolute error of + or - 6.5%. With the exception of TNM and its mixtures, these results compare favorably with more complex predictive models.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Sep 01, 1978
- Accession Number
- ADA060889
Entities
People
- Lewis R. Rothstein
- Robert Peterson