Study of Factors Which Influence the Shock-Initiation Sensitivity of Hexanitrostilbene (HNS)

摘要

An experimental program was conducted to study factors which influence the shock initiation sensitivity of hexanitrostilbene (HNS). The six factors evaluated were: (1) powder morphology, (2) sample density, (3) test temperature, (4) sample length, (5) diameter of the impacting flyer, and (6) duration of the input stimulus. In addition, the effect of pressure duration, tau, was assessed on the initiation sensitivity of an extrudable explosive (LX-13) and of hexanitroazobenzene (HNAB) for comparison with that of superfine hexanitrostilbene (HNS-SF). The impact stimulus was provided by a polyimide flyer 1.57 mm in diameter propelled by an electrically excited bursting foil. Flyer velocity determined impact pressure, P (3 to 20 GPa), and flyer thickness the shock duration, tau (0.010 to 0.150 mu s), the pulse shape being rectangular. Powder morphology was the most significant factor to influence the initiation sensitivity of HNS; with 0.035- mu s pulses the smallest particle-sized HNS had a threshold pressure for initiation which was 50% of that required for the coarser HNS-II. Other factors which lowered the threshold pressure were: lower sample density, elevated test temperature, and larger diameter flyers. HNS-SF showed a shorter growth-to-detonation distance (GTDD) than HNS-I; the GTDD was 0.56 mm at an impact pressure of 7.3 GPa. Pulse duration affected the threshold pressure with each explosive behaving in its own characteristic manner; a P-tau characterization is essential, therefore, for all explosives of interest and should include values of tau which are equivalent to pulse durations expected in service. (ERA citation 06:020811)