Mesoscopic effects on shock initiation of multi-component plastic bonded explosives

Abstract

A series of one-dimensional Lagrangian tests have been performed to examine model parameters in the mesoscopic reaction rate model for shock initiation of multi-component plastic bonded explosives (PBXs) for two multi-component plastic bonded explosives PBXC03 (87% HMX (octahydro-1,3,5,7-tetranitro-1,3,5,7-tetrazoncine), 7% TATB (triaminotrinitrobenzene), and 6% binder by weight) and PBXC10 (25% HMX, 70% TATB, and 5% binder by weight). As the numerical results are in good agreement with experimental data, the model parameters have been used to predict the effects of variations in mesoscopic properties (the particle size, initial density, binder strength, and content) on the shock initiation characteristics of PBXC03 and PBXC10. It is found that the time to detonation for PBXC03 increases with all these mesoscopic properties, while the time to detonation for PBXC10 is basically independent of its mesoscopic properties. Thus, PBXC03 is sensitive to mesoscopic properties, but PBXC10 is not. Moreover, it is also found that the pressure-history curves behind the initial shock wave in PBXC03 have different trends from PBXC10, which implies different chemical reaction mechanisms. Further analysis reveals that it arises from the different hot spot ignition processes due to their different threshold initiation pressures. The hot spots are ignited gradually and almost simultaneously in PBXC03 and PBXC10, respectively.