Characterising the Response of Energetic materials and Polymer-Bonded Explosives (PBXs) to High-Rate Loading.

Abstract

Polymer-bonded explosives (PBXs) are being increasingly used as energetic fillings and components in many systems. They are perceived as more chemically and mechanically stable than traditional fillings such as RDX/TNT. They are castable into predetermined shapes, machinable and can be used as structural components. However, along with all these undeniable advantages, as a class, these materials are now undergoing extensive characterisation to ensure they comply with both the legal and technical requirements in energetic systems.It is well-known that polymers display non-linear behaviour and are much more complex than, for example, simple metal systems at any rate of strain. The understanding of PBX systems involves areas as diverse as polymer chemistry, chemical compatibility, mechanical properties, impact tests, and thermal stability. In this paper, aspects of energetic material response are outlined which are relevant to the understanding of PBX sensitivity.

Macro-Micro Mechanical Behavior of a Highly-Particle-Filled Composite Using Digital Image Correlation Method

“…By comparing the speckle pattern in the objective configuration with the speckle pattern in the initial configuration, the displacement and strain full-field can be determined. The algorithm of DIC technique has been developed by many authors [18][19][20]. The matching theory of this method is given in Fig.…”

The use of digital speckle radiography to study the ballistic deformation of a polymer bonded sugar (an explosive simulant)

“…These experiments cannot therefore provide quantitative data applicable to Detasheet. But the PBS was still worth studying in order to identify regions of intense deformation and flow which, if they form in the PBX, could lead to initiation [27,52,53] . The The mid-plane of the PBS slabs was seeded with lead filings (see figure 1) between 0.5 mm and 1 mm in size.…”