Investigation of Analytical Techniques for the Rapid Determination of the Moisture Content of NOL 130 Primer Mix and Lead Azide

摘要

Military specification MIL-D-14978A, covering the loading, assembly, and packaging of the M55 stab detonator, requires the moisture content of NOL 130 primer mix in the M55 detonator shall not be greater than 0.3%. It also specifies the lead azide, a component of NOL 130, shall not have a moisture content greater than 0.5%. The determination of the moisture content in both materials is currently carried out using ambient pressure oven methods. An investigation of the vacuum oven, Karl Fisher (KF) and nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometric (NMR) techniques for the rapid determination of moisture in NOL 130 primer mix and lead azide was carried out. In comparison to the currently specified ambient pressure oven methods, the KF method reduces the time for the determination of moisture in lead azide by 88%. The vacuum oven method was found to reduce the time for determination of moisture in NOL 130 by 50%. The precision and accuracy of both methods were found to be comparable with the currently used ambient pressure oven methods. The KF and NMR techniques were found inapplicable for the determination of moisture in NOL 130 because of matrix interference.