Diameter Effect and Detonation Front Curvature of Ideal and Non-Ideal Explosives
Abstract
Diameter effect and detonation front curvature data are presented for cast TNT, Tritonal, Urea Nitrate, ANFO, and two AN fertilizer/solid fuel explosives, designated Formula α and Formula β. Near ideal explosives, such as TNT, have relatively flat diameter effect curves and large detonation front curvatures. Although Tritonal exhibits a diameter effect curve similar to that of TNT, the presence of aluminum appears to reduce the front curvature. A low density, powdered material, Urea Nitrate, also exhibits near ideal behavior. The AN-based formulations exhibit marked non-ideal explosive characteristics: steeply falling diameter effect curves and small front curvatures. Although the AN-based explosives are similar in chemical composition and appear to have comparable infinite diameter detonation velocities, the failure diameters of Formula α and Formula β are significantly smaller than the failure diameter of ANFO.
- Publication:
-
APS Shock Compression of Condensed Matter Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- June 1999
- Bibcode:
- 1999APS..SHK..G103S