Development of Processes for Reliable Detonator Grade Very Fine Secondary Explosive Powders

摘要

A number of manufacturing procedures for the preparation of very fine detonator grade explosive powders have been developed at Mound. Strict safety and housekeeping procedures are adhered to to assure a safe operation and a clean product. Over the years much of the effort has been concerned with PETN and HMX and the methods needed to prepare these materials with surface areas ranging from 900 to 20,000 cm (sup 2)/g (Fisher Sub Sieve Sizer method). The current trend is toward making available alternate insensitive high explosive (IHE) materials for slapper detonators. An increase in their sensitivity is needed and can be achieved by increasing powder surface area while maintaining high purity. Mound has developed a continuous crystallization process for the IHE TATB which results in surface areas ranging from 25 to 30 m sup 2 /g (BET method). 3 refs., 4 figs. (ERA citation 13:047284)