Probing shock-initiation of plastic-bonded explosives with a tabletop microscope

Salvati Lawrence Salvati, Belinda P. Johnson, Will P. Bassett, Dana D. Dlott

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contribution

Abstract

In this study we investigate the shock-to-detonation transition (SDT) in a plastic-bonded explosive (PBX) consisting of pentaerithritol tetranitrate (PETN) with poly-dimethyl siloxane (PDMS) binder. The study uses a tabletop shock compression microscope with laser-driven flyer plates and arrays of tiny PBX charges. The PBX was shocked by 4 ns duration 0.5-4.5 km/s impacts and probed using photon Doppler velocimetry (PDV) and optical pyrometry. The PBX was initiated, hot spots were produced, and a long-lived high pressure waveform develops within 10 ns, resembling detonative shock waves. The initiated PBX continues to develop more shock energy as a function of run distance, which leads to the hypothesis that the detonation wave has not yet fully developed at the run distances studied due to some fraction of PBX not initiating. Possible methods to achieve better initiation over short run distances <0.25 mm were discussed.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Title of host publicationShock Compression of Condensed Matter - 2019
Subtitle of host publicationProceedings of the Conference of the American Physical Society Topical Group on Shock Compression of Condensed Matter
EditorsJ. Matthew D. Lane, Timothy C. Germann, Michael R. Armstrong, Ryan Wixom, David Damm, Joseph Zaug
PublisherAmerican Institute of Physics Inc.
ISBN (Electronic)9780735440005
DOIs
StatePublished - Nov 2 2020
Event21st Biennial American Physical Society Conference on Shock Compression of Condensed Matter, SCCM 2019 - Portland, United States
Duration: Jun 16 2019Jun 21 2019

Publication series

NameAIP Conference Proceedings
Volume2272
ISSN (Print)0094-243X
ISSN (Electronic)1551-7616

Conference

Conference21st Biennial American Physical Society Conference on Shock Compression of Condensed Matter, SCCM 2019
Country/TerritoryUnited States
CityPortland
Period6/16/196/21/19

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Physics and Astronomy

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