Nonprimary-Explosive, Hot-Wire Detonator

摘要

A nonprimary-explosive, hot-wire detonator, employing the deflagration-to-detonation transition (DDT) process, has been developed. Pentaerythritol tetranitrate (PETN) is the explosive used. The assembly is nominally a 1-A/1-W/1- omega system. The DDT process has been examined over a range of PETN specific surface values (3000 to 14,500 cm exp 2 /g) and pressing densities (1.0 to 1.4 g/cm exp 3 ). The reaction is sensitive to the degree of subdivision and the compactness of the explosive in which the transition takes place. It apparently happens better with PETN of small specific surface loaded at low density. Consistent transitions from burning to detonation occur in PETN pressings 9 mm or more in length, with diameters of about 2 mm. Increasing the charge diameter by a factor of 2 appears to allow a shortening of the required charge length by several millimeters. (ERA citation 10:010335)