Understanding Amorphous Explosives
Abstract
Amorphous explosives offer a number advantages in comparison to legacy explosives. They are generally safer, can be more powerful, and easier to mould and shape. Moreover, they can provide critical insight into the crystallization of energetic materials at a molecular level and shed light on the fundamental reasons why amorphous explosives are less sensitive to initiation by shock and impact. The hypothesis that will be explored here is that internal energy transfer (the conversion of adsorbed shock wave energy to molecular vibrations, which in turn breaks chemical bonds and induces detonation) in the amorphous explosive state may be very different from that in the crystalline form of the explosive. The proposed study will also explore the factors that are important for the recrystallization of the amorphous state to the crystalline state, and whether metastable intermediate phases can be isolated. This has further implications for the long-term stability of amorphous explosives.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Jul 09, 2020
- Source ID
- W911NF2010162
Entities
People
- Colin R. Pulham
Organizations
- Army Contracting Command
- United States Army
- University of Edinburgh