Coupling thermal response and shock physics in secondary explosives

ORAL

Abstract

We have recently produced a family of chemical decomposition models applicable to the thermal response of secondary explosives. In this talk we present applications of this model to the response of HMX and PETN. We use the pressurization rate upon ignition for these explosives in two different regimes of heating rate as the source term for ramp wave pressurization of material in the far field. By a simple application of the method of characteristics we calculate wave coalescence times and distances as a function of the applied thermal boundary condition. We compare results with observations from historical work on the Deflagration to Detonation Transtition (DDT) for HMX and the function of Explosive Bridgewire Detonators composed of both PETN and HMX that have been studied in this laboratory.

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Presenters

  • Bryan Henson

    MS J567, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Chemistry, Los Alamos National Laboratory

Authors

  • Bryan Henson

    MS J567, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Chemistry, Los Alamos National Laboratory

  • Laura Smilowitz

    MS J567, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Chemistry, Los Alamos National Laboratory