Response Surface Optimization of Lead Azide for Explosive Detonators
Abstract
The Armament Research, Development and Engineering Center, Picatinny (ARDEC) has been tasked with developing a new chemical process to produce lead azide, the key explosive ingredient in detonators. The new process is physically smaller than the traditional process, and incorporates newer technologies to improve process safety while reducing the costs of setting up new production. The new process has been shown to produce lead azide, but the process settings and operations have not yet been fully characterized. Chemical engineers at ARDEC, Picatinny were also unable to produce a lead azide that met military specifications. A shortage of lead azide has placed our country's ability to manufacture detonators in jeopardy, so the timely completion of this effort is important. This research project used a statistically designed experiment and response surface methods to optimize the process settings. The objective is to discover the ideal process settings to produce a lead azide that meets military specifications and is similar to the lead azide produced by the original process. An optimum (minimum) number of process setting trials is required as a single experimental can take over a week to fully analyze. Therefore, sequential and efficient experimentation is critical.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Nov 01, 2006
- Accession Number
- ADA481744
Entities
People
- Darrell Massie
- Emily Cordaro
- Ian Mcculloh
Organizations
- United States Military Academy