Research on the detonation process of explosives containing sodium azide

Abstract

The detonation performance of aluminized energetic materials with enriched nitrogen content is examined. Sodium azide (NaN3, SA) was considered as the component to enhance the nitrogen content in explosive mixtures. SA explosives based on hexogen (RDX) as the representative C-H-N-O explosive, and on ammonium nitrate(V) (NH4NO3, AN) were investigated. Powdered (Alp) or flaked (Alf) aluminum was added as an energetic additive. Detonation of mixtures with added SA revealed highly non-ideal behaviour. Thermodynamic evaluations have been carried out to assess the magnitude of the energy evolved in explosives with added SA, as well as to examine the possible influence of the formation of aluminum nitride (AlN(s)) on the detonation and explosion parameters. The results obtained indicated that, despite the relatively low observed detonation velocities, aluminized RDX/Al/SA and AN/Al/SA mixtures may attain explosion energies of about of 6 MJ/kg and higher. A considerably lower energetic outcome from the formation of AlN(s), in comparison with Al2O3(s), was noted.