Standardized piezoelectric polymer (PVDF) gauge for detonator response measurement
Abstract
Time-resolved measurements of pressure profiles from the detonation of explosive devices have proven to be essential for the detailed study of device performance. At present such measurements are routinely carried out with laser velocity interferometer (VISAR) systems, electromagnetic particle velocity gauges or piezoresistant (Manganin) gauges. One of the most promising new gauges to appear in recent years is the piezoelectric polymer gauge (PVDF) which has been standardized for general use based on the materials processing techniques developed by Bauer. The special problems presented by small size piezoelectric polymer gauges and nonplanar impacts are studied over a range of impact conditions. The response of 1 mm by 1 mm active area PVDF gauges under precisely controlled compressed-gas gun impacts shows highly reproducible results to pressures of 20 GPa. For the PVDF gauge which is placed within 12 microns of the impact surface and under approximately planar loading with small detonator flyer plates, PVDF gauge signals appear to be reduced by about 15 percent compared to the compressed-gas gun loading response. For highly nonplanar flyer impacts the PVDF signals are reduced by about 35 percent. In all stress environments, high quality, time-resolved current pulses are observed.
- Publication:
-
NASA STI/Recon Technical Report N
- Pub Date:
- April 1989
- Bibcode:
- 1989STIN...8927144M
- Keywords:
-
- Detonators;
- Explosives;
- Measuring Instruments;
- Piezoelectricity;
- Polymerization;
- Pressure Measurement;
- Detonation;
- Standardization;
- Instrumentation and Photography