Experimental explosives

Many different explosives were tested. Attempts were made to produce explosives in World War I that would also produce toxic gases or fumes. Other explosives that used cheap and plentiful raw materials were also in demand. Finally, many of the fuses or detonators in shells malfunctioned, and 

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Computer codes are used for the calculational procedures which provide highly detailed data, eg, the Ruby code (70). Rapid, short-form methods yielding very good first approximations, such as the Kamlet equations, are also available (71—74). Both modeling approaches show good agreement with experimental data obtained ia measures of performance. A comparison of calculated and experimental explosive detonation velocities is shown ia Table 5. 

Evaluation of Elliptical Experimental Explosive Charges (Z-Test) , Rept No USAMERDC-2116(1974)... 

The lower explosive limit and minimum explosive concentrations of flax, wool, cotton, jute, hemp and sisal fibres are of the same order of magnitude as those of highly explosive dusts [15], The explosibility of pyrites dusts with sulfur contents above 20% was evaluated experimentally. Dusts of 30% sulfur content gave explosion pressures of 3 bar at pressure rise rates of 16 bar/sec. Mixtures of 60% pyrites and 40% powdered limestone still showed significant pressure effects, and the proportion of limestone actually needed to suppress explosions was considerably above the values currently accepted by mining industries [16], Effects of mixtures of particle sizes in combustible dusts upon minimum ignition temperature (T ") and upon presence or absence of explosion were studied. Presence of 30% of fines in a coarse dust lowers Tf significantly [17], Experimental explosions of polyethylene,... 

As acceptors six expls were tested TNB, TNT, Tetryl and experimental Explosives a,... 

Many explosives chemists have for many years considered heat of detonation as the primary measure of effectiveness. Figures of merit of experimental explosives have most often been expressed in terms of... 

Ord (1959), 257 (Setback force) 6) F.D. Altman, " Drop Test of Large Castings of Experimental Explosive PAX—5", Naval-ProvingGround, Rept No 1665 (1959) (Conf)... 

Experimental explosions of nuclear bombs are direct as well as indirect sources of numerous radioisotopes corresponding to many elements. During the fission of U with thermal neutrons, about 60 radioisotopes are produced primarily and this number is increased stepwise by radioactive decays to 180 radioisotopes of 35 elements with proton numbers of 30 to 65 and nucleon numbers of 72 to 161. Further radioisotopes are produced indirectly, i.e. by the activation of structural materials of the bomb, and of the the dust and common components of the atmosphere. The intensity of a nuclear explosion has no essential effect on the qualitative problem of the radioactive aerosols formed, however, it contributes significantly to their distribution in the atmosphere. The heat energy released in the explosion of smaller bombs (up to tens kt TNT) is rapidly dispersed and the convec- tive air motion driving radioactive particles is usually arrested prior to a possible transport of the fission products beyond the tropopause. Explo-... 

For example, the CBDA report states for item 65, a Livens drum, In addition to the high levels of barium. Barium was found in the groundwater and surface water. Barium was used for green flares and in the experimental explosive barium nitrate. 

Table 3.14 Comparison of experimental explosion velocities of several liquid explosives to their calculated values...

The military use of explosives ranges from ANFO to exotic experimental explosives with high molecular densities. Because we have already covered many explosive types, only those explosives with a unique military use will be discussed. 

In summary, we have correlated the data from two experiments to generate an approximate similitude equation. The same equation provides reasonable agreement with both experiments. In addition, an entirely different similitude equation has been generated by correlating a set of hydro-dynamic calculations (as though they were experiments) for both TNT and thermite steam explosions. This independent equation predicted impulses that were about 60% of the measured values. Part of this under-prediction could be due to internal reflections and superposition of shock waves in the experiments. Another part could be due to experimental efficiencies higher than those assxamed in the set of calculations. In either case, this analysis procedure implies that the experimental explosions had efficiencies that could have been as much as 50-100% of theoretical maximums. Many more experiments are required, however, before these efficiencies could be considered confirmed. 

Experimental Shock Velocity (cm/fisec) Hugoniot Pressure (kbar) Experimental Explosion Time (//sec) Walsh and Christian Temperature ( K) Data Source... 

Figure 11. Comparison of predicted explosion limits with experimental data experimental explosion limits [from Lewis and von Elbe (1961)] — model prediction, [from Wu et aJ. (1990)].

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