Detonations of Solid Explosives.
Abstract
The goal of this project is to calculate the amount of shocking or jostling that a solid explosive can withstand before detonating. The ultimate objective is to determine, by means of the calculations, how to modify the explosive so that it still retains all of its explosive power but becomes less sensitive to shock. These less sensitive but equally powerful explosives would reduce the number of accidents that occur among personnel involved in handling, storing, transporting, and using the explosives. The detonation process is complicated and involves many factors, including hot spots, propagation of acoustic or detonation waves, interaction (or scattering) between detonation waves and explosive molecules, etc. However, the key factor in an explosive's sensitivity to shock is the activation energy of the molecules that make up the explosive. When an explosive receives a shock, the energy of the molecules contained in the explosive is increased. In the region of the shock, if the energy of a sufficient number of molecules is raised above the activation energy, then the detonation begins.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- May 05, 1987
- Accession Number
- ADA182934
Entities
People
- Nathan E. Brener
Organizations
- Louisiana State University