Explosive potential of bulk energetic materials

摘要

Thermal destruction of large quantities of chemical waste occasionally results in devastating explosions. A simple on-site screening protocol is needed which permits assessment of the explosive hazard of these materials. Our approach is to use differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) to quantify the energy content and total gas released to characterize the potential expansion volume. These parameters, along with an estimate of the rate of decomposition, were determined for a large number of energetic and potentially energetic materials. A proposed assessment protocol has been devised based on the results of these simple tests.