Progress in measuring detonation wave profiles in PBX9501

The authors have measured detonation wave profiles in PBX9501 (95 wt% HMX and 5 wt% binders) using VISAR. Planar detonations were produced by impacting the explosive with projectiles launched in a 72 mm bore gas gun. Particle velocity wave profiles were measured at the explosive/window interface using two VISARs with different fringe constants. Windows with very thin vapor deposited aluminum mirrors were used for all experiments. PMMA windows provided an undermatch, and LiF (Lithium Fluoride) windows provided an overmatch to the explosive, reacted and unreacted. While the present experiments do not have adequate time resolution to adequately resolve the ZND spike condition, they do constrain it to lie between 38.7 and 53.4 Gpa or 2.4 and 3.3 km/s. Accurate knowledge of the CJ state places the reaction zone length at 35 {+-} 12 ns ({approx} 0.3 mm). The present experiments do not show any effect of the window on the reaction zone; both window materials result in the same reaction zone length

Detonation wave profiles in HMX based explosives

Detonation wave profiles have been measured in several HMX based plastic bonded explosives including PBX9404, PBX9501, and EDC-37, as well as two HMX powders (coarse and fine) pressed to 65% of crystal density. The powders had 120 and 10 {micro}m average grain sizes, respectively. Planar detonations were produced by impacting the explosive with projectiles launched in a 72-mm bore gas gun. Impactors, impact velocity, and explosive thickness were chosen so that the run distance to detonation was always less than half the explosive thickness. For the high density plastic bonded explosives, particle velocity wave profiles were measured at an explosive/window interface using two VISAR interferometers. PMMA windows with vapor deposited aluminum mirrors were used for all experiments. Wave profiles for the powdered explosives were measured using magnetic particle velocity gauges. Estimates of the reaction zone parameters were obtained from the profiles using Hugoniots of the explosive and window

Observations of shock-induced reaction in liquid bromoform up to 11 GPA

Shock measurements on bromoform (CHBr{sub 3}) over the past 33 years at Los Alamos have led to speculation that this material undergoes a shock-induced reaction. Ramsay observed that it became opaque after a 1 to 2 {micro}s induction time when shocked to pressures above 6 GPa. McQueen and Isaak observed that it is a strong light emitter above 25 GPa. Hugoniot data start to deviate from the anticipated liquid Hugoniot at pressures above 10 GPa. The authors have used electromagnetic particle velocity gauging to measure wave profiles in shocked liquid bromoform. At pressures below 9 GPa, there is no mechanical evidence of reaction. At a pressure slightly above 10 GPa, the observed wave profiles are similar to those observed in initiating liquid explosives such as nitromethane. Their characteristics are completely different from the two-wave structures observed in shocked liquids where the products are more dense than the reactants. As with explosives, a reaction producing products which are less dense than the reactants is indicated. BKW calculations also indicate that a detonation type reaction may be possible

Electromagnetic gauge measurements of shock initiating PBX9501 and PBX9502 explosives

The authors have used an embedded electromagnetic particle velocity gauge technique to measure the shock initiation behavior in PBX9501 and PBX9502 explosives. Experiments have been conducted in which up to twelve separate measurements have been made in a single experiment which detail the growth from an input shock to a detonation. In addition, another gauge element called a shock tracker has been used to monitor the progress of the shock front as a function of time, thus providing a position-time trajectory of the wave front as it moves through the explosive sample. This provides similar data to that obtained in a traditional wedge test and is used to determine the position and time that the wave attains detonation. Data on both explosives show evidence of heterogeneous initiation (growth in the front) and homogeneous initiation (growth behind the front) with the PBX9502 showing more Heterogeneous behavior and the PBX 9501 showing more homogeneous behavior

Changes to the LANL gas-driven two-stage gun: Magnetic gauge instrumentation, etc.

Our gas-driven two-stage gun was designed and built to do initiation studies on insensitive high explosives as well as other equation of state experiments on inert materials. Our preferred method of measuring initiation phenomena involves the use of magnetic particle velocity gauges. In order to accommodate this type of gauging in our two-stage gun, projectile velocity was sacrificed in favor of a larger experimental target area (obtained by using a 50 mm diameter launch tube). We have used magnetic gauging on our 72-mm bore diameter single-stage gun for over 15 years and it has proven a very effective technique to monitor reactive shock wave evolution. This technique has now been adapted to our gas-driven two-stage gun. We describe the method used, as well as some of the difficulties that arose while installing this technique. Several magnetic gauge experiments have been completed on plastic materials. Waveforms obtained in one experiment are given, along with the Hugoniot information that was obtained. This new technique is now working quite well, as is evidenced by the data. To our knowledge, this is the first time magnetic gauging has been used on a two-stage gun. We have also made changes to the burst diaphragm package in the transition section to ensure that the petals do not break off during the opening process and to increase the burst pressure. This will also be discussed briefly

Ignition of thermally sensitive explosives between a contact surface and a shock

The dynamics of ignition between a contact surface and a shock wave is investigated using a one-step reaction model with Arrhenius kinetics. Both large activation energy asymptotics and high-resolution finite activation energy numerical simulations are employed. Emphasis is on comparing and contrasting the solutions with those of the ignition process between a piston and a shock, considered previously. The large activation energy asymptotic solutions are found to be qualitatively different from the piston driven shock case, in that thermal runaway first occurs ahead of the contact surface, and both forward and backward moving reaction waves emerge. These waves take the form of quasi-steady weak detonations that may later transition into strong detonation waves. For the finite activation energies considered in the numerical simulations, the results are qualitatively different to the asymptotic predictions in that no backward weak detonation wave forms, and there is only a weak dependence of the evolutionary events on the acoustic impedance of the contact surface. The above conclusions are relevant to gas phase equation of state models. However, when a large polytropic index more representative of condensed phase explosives is used, the large activation energy asymptotic and finite activation energy numerical results are found to be in quantitative agreement

Magnetic gauge measurements on the two-stage gun : homogeneous and heterogeneous initiation of high explosives /

One of the reasons for building our gas-driven two-stage gun at Los Alamos was to be able to do shock initiation experiments on high explosives that were too insensitive to initiate with the single-stage gun. In past ARA meetings we have discussed the operation of the gun and the magnetic gauge measurement method. During the past couple of years we have done a number of magnetic gauge experiments on both liquid and solid high explosives. Shock initiation of high explosives depends on the nature of the material - whether it is homogeneous (liquid) or heterogeneous (pressed solid). In the solid explosives, mostly heterogeneous behavior has been measured. In the liquid explosive isopropyl nitrate, classic homogeneous initiation has been measured including the formation of a superdetonation in the shocked liquid. Experiments in both materials are discussed including the particle (mass) velocity profiles at a number of Lagrangian positions in the flow, progress of the shock front as measured by shock tracker gauges, and the position when the reactive wave reaches a detonation condition. The two-stage gun, in conjunction with the multiple magnetic gauging method, has proven very useful for generating new information in initiation experiments. Information from these experiments is of great value to modelers trying to determine the proper reaction rate models to use in simulations of the shock initiation process