Experimental measurements of the chemical reaction zone of TATB and HMX based explosives

Abstract

In order to have an insight into the chemical reaction zone of high explosives (HE), experimental measurements of the detonation wave profile of solid explosives using laser velocimetry techniques have been performed. The experiments consisted in initiating a detonation wave in a cylinder of explosive using an explosive wire detonator associated with an explosive booster and in measuring the particle velocity of an explosive-window interface. A TATB based HE and a TATBHMX based HE have been studied through several configurations where the cylinder geometry and the window material could vary. Particle velocity profiles were measured by VISAR and Heterodyne Velocimetry (HV). The results on the behavior of the explosives have been analyzed and compared with those of Photon Doppler Velocimetry of expanding species experiments. These experiments also enabled to carry on the comparison of the efficiency of VISAR and HV in such applications. © 2012 American Institute of Physics.