Cookoff Behaviour of Pyrotechnics
Abstract
The US Navy has officially adopted a policy of Insensitive Munitions (IM) and the Australian Defence Forces are currently considering adoption of a similar IM policy. One major area of uncertainty is whether pyrotechnic stores respond in an unacceptably violent manner to IM threat scenarios, and whether they should be subjected to rigorous IM testing. At present there is only a limited amount of information available on the response of pyrotechnics to IM threat scenarios. The study reported in this paper generates some much needed data on the cookoff behaviour of pyrotechnics. The results of the response of several pyrotechnic compositions to both fast and slow cookoff using the Super Small Scale Cookoff Bomb (SSCB) and the Royal Armament Research and Development Establishment (RARDE) Small Scale Booster Cookoff Test (SSBCT), supported by Differential Scanning Calorimetry/Differential Thermal Analysis (DSC/DTA) data, are presented. The results suggest that most pyrotechnic compositions do not present a serious threat in terms of the level of response to these test stimuli. Insensitive Munitions, SSCB, Small Scale Cookoff Bomb, Super Small Scale Cookoff Bomb, SCB, Pyrotechnics.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 1992
- Accession Number
- ADA250343
Entities
People
- L. D. Redman
- L. V . De Yong
Organizations
- Defence Science and Technology Group