DETONATION PARAMETERS OF LOW -DENSITY PETN AND RDX BASED HIGH EXPLOSIVES

K. A. Ten1, E. R. Pruuel1, A. O. Kashkarov1, I. A. Spirin2, A. L. Mikhailov2, L. I. Shekhtman3, V. V. Zhulanov3, and A. A. Deribas4

1Lavrent’ev Institute of Hydrodynamics, Siberian Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, pr. Lavrent’eva 15, Novosibirsk, 63009 Russia

2Institute for Explosion Physics, ul. Mira 37, Sarov, 607190 Russia

3Budker Institute of Nuclear Physics, Siberian Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, pr. Lavrent’eva 11, Novosibirsk, 630090 Russia

4Merzhanov Institute of Structural Macrokinetics and Materials Science, Russian Academy of Sciences, Chernogolovka, Moscow, 142432 Russia

e-mail

When used as an X-ray source, synchrotron radiation (SR) has a number of unique features. Major ones are high flux intensity, which allows using very short exposure time (τ ≤ 1 ns), high frequency (∆t = 5–250 ns), and small angular divergence. Due to these advantages as compared with a conventional X-ray pulse apparatus, it is possible to register radiation passing through a matter, producing a well-resolved multi-frame pattern of density distribution in shock waves and detonating high explosive.

For comparison, similar experiments were conducted with mixtures of TEN + soda and hexogen + soda, in which the HEs were used in the form of standard fine fraction (not recrystallized). The detonation parameters (the detonation velocity and density distribution) of the mixtures stayed the same, but the critical size of the mixtures increased up to 20 mm.

Fig.1. Mass distribution (g/cm2) in detonation of RDX + soda mixture. The detonation velocity is 2.1 km/s.

Fig.2. Density distribution in detonation of RDX +soda mixture.

Fig.3. Pressure profile.

At the experimental station of BINP SB RAS accelerator VEPP-3, experiments with SR application were conducted to study detonating samples of bulk density charges of PETN + soda and RDX + soda mixtures (20 mm in diameter). The mixed high explosives (HE) had a very low initial density (~0.5 g/cm3) and low detonation velocity (~2 km/s). With a small critical diameter (~3 mm), this composition is very promising if applied to explosive welding [1]. All samples of mixed high explosives were prepared at Sarov and delivered to Novosibirsk. The experiments were carried out in two arrangements: longitudinal measurement of X-ray absorption and transverse measurement of X-ray absorption (with the detector arranged across the direction of detonation). SR was registered with the home-designed detector DIMEX [2]. The measurement procedure is described elsewhere [3, 4]. The outcomes of the first experiments included density distribution in the front during detonation of the compound. Density values at the Neumann peak (1.1 g/cm3) at a detonation velocity of 2.1 km/s were also obtained (Fig. 1). The chemical peak width was 2.5–3.0 mm. The transverse measurement of absorption produced volume distributions of pressure and density (Figs. 2, 3), as well as fields of the velocity of projection of the detonation products.

  1. L.A. Andreevskikh, Yu. P. Dedenkov, O.B. Drennov, A.L. Mikhailov, N.N. Titova, A.A. Deribas, Explosive mixture for explosive welding of thin foils, Propell. Explos. Pyrotech., 2011, vol. 36, no. 1. pp. 48–50.
  2. Aulchenko V.M., Bondar A.E., Kudryavtsev V.N., Nikolenko D.M., Papushev P.A., Pruuel E.R., Rachek I.A., Ten K.A., Titov V.M., Tolochko B.P., Zhilich V.N., Zhulanov V.V., Shekhtman L.I., GEM-based detectors for SR imaging and particle tracking, J. Instrum., 2012, vol. 7, no. 3, pp. 1–18.
  3. E.R. Pruuel, K.A. Ten, B.P. Tolochko, L.A. Merzhievskii, L.A. Luk’yanchikov, V.M. Aul’chenko, V.V. Zhulanov, L.I. Shekhtman, V.M. Titov, Implementation of the capability of synchrotron radiation in a study of detonation processes, Dokl. Phys., 2013, vo. 58, no. 1, pp. 24–28.
  4. V.M. Titov, E.R. Pruuel, K.A. Ten, L.A. Luk’yanchikov, L.A. Merzhievskii, B.P. Tolochko, V.V. Zhulanov, L.I. Shekhtman, Experience of using synchrotron radiation for studying detonation processes, Combust. Explos. Shock Waves, 2011,vol. 47, no. 6, pp. 3–15.