Schweikert Theory of Detonation

Dr Gustav Schweikert of Bad Godesberg, described in Explosivstoffe 3, 197-200 (1955) and 4, 10-14 (1956) a theory of detonation of condensed-phase explosives, which is based on the assumption that such.detonations follow essentially the same basic laws as the combustion of colloidal propellants, and can be comprehended thru the same molecular and reaction-kinetic theories 

Since an abstract of this article was not found in CA or PhA, Mr. C. G. Dunkle, at our request, translated the entire paper into English. However, because of the detailed mathematical derivations and numerous equations involved, we are giving an abstract prepd by Mr Jack Alster of Picatinny Arsenal 

Based on a molecular kinetic model, Schweikert derives equations which. describe both the process of detonation in a condensed expl and that of the burning of a colloidal powder These processes are shown to differ primarily in the magnitude of the collision efficiency. Relations are derived which relate the max deton vel and pressure with molecular props 

Schweikert s theory differs radically from the conventional thermohydrodynamic Chapman-Jouguet theory in that it provides for a continuous transition from burning to deton. In Section I entitled Introduction , the author criticizes the validity of the C-J theory for condensed expls. In Section II the burning rate constants of a colloidal propint are related to fundamental parameters such.as specific surface vol of the powd, the most probable molecular vel, and the collision efficiency c. Schweikert arrives in Section III at the conclusion that burning deton differ primarily in the magnitude of c i.e. c l in a deton and is a much. smaller value in a burning process A surprisingly simple relation is derived in Section IV for the upper boundary of the deton vel Dm of a condensed expl  

In Section V a more general relation for D is derived which introduces the diameter effect 

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