Abstract
A new method is described to study how microstructures within a plastic-bonded explosive (PBX) interact with shock waves to produce hot spots, and to identify the critical hot spots that grow into a deflagration. A unique feature of this method is that it allows us to see every crystal in the PBX during the shock. We used an HMX-based PBX fabricated into a wafer about one crystal thick so there are no crystals hidden from view. The wafer is embedded in a transparent polymer in a traveling wave geometry, and a microscope with a laser flyer launcher and a nanosecond camera is used to watch hot spots appear and grow so we can determine which microstructural elements favor or disfavor hot spots.
Recommended Citation
D. Sellan et al., "Seeing Inside Shocked Plastic-Bonded Explosives," AIP Conference Proceedings, vol. 2844, no. 1, article no. 320001, AIP Publishing, Sep 2023.
The definitive version is available at https://doi.org/10.1063/12.0020351
Department(s)
Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
Publication Status
Free Access
International Standard Serial Number (ISSN)
1551-7616; 0094-243X
Document Type
Article - Conference proceedings
Document Version
Citation
File Type
text
Language(s)
English
Rights
© 2026 AIP Publishing, All rights reserved.
Publication Date
26 Sep 2023
Comments
Air Force Office of Scientific Research, Grant FA9550-19-1-0027