Irradiation of the energetic polymer GAP (glycidyl azido polymer) by a high power pulsed UV laser leads to its rapid decomposition. A large amount of solid and gaseous material is released, and in the presence of an inert gas, a shock wave develops. Comparison with an inert polymer indicates that the energy released by the exothermicity of the decomposition reaction contributes significantly to the shock formative energy. The energy released in the micro‐explosion can be estimated from the analysis of the shock front propagation velocity. It is found that irradiation of polymers in which GAP is diluted by an inert polymer, may lead to a higher shock intensity than irradiation of neat GAP. Possible causes for this apparent inconsistency (which is not observed upon initiation by a pulsed infrared laser) are discussed.
Previous studies of GAP (glycidyl azido polymer) laser-induced decomposition (Propellants, Explosives,
Pyrotechnics
1996, 21, 258), revealed that the shock wave produced from a diluted polymer is more energetic
than from the neat polymer. In this paper, direct measurement of the energy disposal into molecular products
is reported using spectroscopic methods. Chemiluminescence probes electronically excited species, and laser-induced fluorescence, ground-state radicals. It is found that the initial velocity and internal energy content of
small diatomic molecules is larger in some diluted polymers than in the neat one. This finding is in line with
a simple model based on the assumption of a self-sustained reaction following initial laser excitation.
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