Single and Multiple Impact Ignition of New and Aged High >>Explosives in the Steven Impact Test

The threshold velocities for several new and aged HMX-based high explosives have been measured using three different projectile designs. Multiple impacts of damaged but unreacted charges were fired at reduced velocities until those charges reacted. Blast overpressure and embedded pressure gauges were used to determine the relative violence of the explosive reactions. Ignition and Growth reactive flow computer modeling was used to predict the changes in threshold velocity and relative reaction violence produced by the different projectile shapes. These reactive flow models can then be used to predict impact hazard scenarios that can not be measured directly. (This work was performed under the auspices of the United States Department of Energy by the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory under Contact No. W-7405-ENG-48.)