126

Propellants, Explosives, Pyrotechnics 25, 126132 (2000)

Performance and Sensitivity of Explosives

Hans-Heinrich Licht sisches Forschungsinstitut Saint Louis, (ISL), Institut Franco Allemand de Recherches de Saint Louis, Deutsch-Franzo Postfach 1260, D-79574 Weil am Rhein (Germany)

Leistung und Empndlichkeit von Explosivstoffen Meergebnisse aus Tests zur Leistungs- und Empndlichkeitsbeschreibung von Explosivstoffen wurden nach einer Normierung zu einer einzigen Leistungs- bzw. Sicherheits-Kennzahl fu r den jeweiligen Explosivstoff zusammengefat. Das erlaubte eine Bewertung von Reinstoffen und speziellen Formulierungen im Hinblick darauf, wie weit die jeweilige Leistung des Explosivstoffs in einem ausgewogenen ltnis zu seiner Empndlichkeit steht. Bei einer graphischen Verha re Grenzlinie, was bedeutet, da Darstellung ergibt sich eine imagina hten Empndlichkeit parallel la uft eine hohe Leistung mit einer erho und da unempndliche Sprengstoffe keine Spitzen-Leistung erbrin uge gen. Da dieses aus der Praxis der Ladungsherstellung gela Ergebnis theoretisch nicht zu begru nden ist, sollte es auch Ausnahmen geben, also Explosivstoffe, die zumindest in ihrer Tendenz dem idealen Explosivstoff (mit hoher Leistung und hoher Sicherheit) nahe kommen, was durch Beispiele belegt wird.

d'explosifs Performance et sensibilite sultats expe rimentaux de tests de performance et de sensibilite Les re te regroupe s apre s normalisation en une seule d'explosifs ont e ristique de performance ainsi que de se curite pour chaque caracte valuer des compose s purs et des formulations explosif. Ceci permet d'e ciales et de de terminer dans quelle mesure les performances de spe . Un graphique met en l'explosif sont en accord avec sa sensibilite vidence une limite imaginaire signiant qu'une performance e leve e e e leve e et que des explosifs insensibles s'accompagne d'une sensibilite que ce ne donnent pas de performances maximales. Etant donne sultat trouve fre quemment en pratique lors de la fabrication des re tre justie the oriquement, on peut imaginer qu'il y a charges ne peut e se rapprocher de aussi des exceptions, donc des explosifs qui tendent a al (a haute performance et haute se curite ), comme en l'explosif ide moignent des exemples. te

Summary
Experimental data from several performance and sensitivity tests have been combined after normalization to dene a single performance and a security characteristic term, respectively. This allows to evaluate pure compounds and special formulations with regard to a well balanced ratio of performance and sensitivity. A graph shows an imaginary border line what has to be interpreted in the sense that in the praxis of explosive charges high performance is accompanied by an enhanced sensitivity and that an insensitive explosive will not exhibit a top performance. As this result cannot be proved by theory one should imagine that there are also exceptions, i.e. explosives which approach the ideal high explosive (with high performance and high security) what is exemplied.

1. Introduction Performance and sensitivity, often used in order to characterize energetic materials, are not precise terms. They have multiple aspects and they are quantied by strongly differing test procedures. The description of an explosive will be the more complete the larger is the data basis which such an analysis is relied on. It is tried here to connect the performance and sensitivity data from ISL experiments to a single but complete explosive description. The representation proposed here can cover the desirable total aspect only to some extent as (for good reasons) exclusively own data from well dened tests are applied. So the valuation of explosives is based on only two or in a more profound consideration on three tests, each. This investigation is based on the ISL data collection published here which does not only take into account standard explosives but also high explosives with uncommon
# WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH, D-69451 Weinheim, 2000

element composition, oxygen balanced compounds and energetic materials with metal admixture. All these explosives were investigated with respect to their performance and their sensitivity and stability, respectively. The rst and common description of the explosive performance is the detonation velocity D (measured at a desirably high charge density). This is not sufcient as resulted by our own research on light-element explosives (ANQ, TAGN)(1), which exhibited besides attractive D values only low ballistic performance not predicted by model calculations. So as a p second base is applied the Gurney energy 2EG . For a more profound analysis we recommend the brisance of an explosive which can be quantied by the depth (or the volume) of the denting from a detonation on a steel plate, the Plate Dent Test. The security data have to describe very differing properties. Shock sensitivity and thermal stability are preferred here, because the data are well accessible and only small sample amounts are needed. As a third term the detonability is obtained from the gap test which needs a more extensive investigation. Such data are available only for a part of the considered compounds and are reserved for the more detailed aspect of this subject.

2. The Coherence of Performance and Sensitivity Although there seems to exist a coherence between performance and sensitivity (we give a lot of examples), the more brisant explosive being also the more sensitive one, there is no fundamental law that the gain in performance has to be paid with a loss in security. This can be veried by a few considerations: An explosive single crystal is not detonable
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Performance and Sensitivity of Explosives

127

in principle, but it carries the performance when it comes to a detonation at any way. The second example is even more familiar: TNT (cast) is like the single crystal a relatively homogeneous system and so it is detonable only with difculties in contrast to the pressed TNT which can be applied as a booster. But both have the same detonation velocity.

depends on a lot of parameters and can be treated as a constant only with certain restrictions. Similar are the relations for the security data. So the experimental conditions on which the results and their interpretation are based on, are described at rst. 3.1 Performance Data Determination

3. Experimental To obtain comparable data, the experimental conditions have to be dened precisely. Especially the Gurney constant
Table 1. Performance Characteristics: Detonation Velocity Explosive D (gacm3) D (mas) Characteristics

3.1.1 Detonation Velocity D Obtaining optimum results has not been tried. The materials rarely possessed the favourable grain size for the charge fabrication. As a consequence the charge density D often
Table 2. Performance Characteristics: Gurney Energy p 2EG Characteristics Explosive D (gacm3)

HNaHMX-65a35 HMaHNaTAGN-45a40a15 HMXaHN-70a30 HMX RDXaHN-55a45 HMXaETN-65a35 ANQ RDX TeNHHPm HMXaTNT-70a30 PETNaHN-45a55 ETNaHMX-80a20 PETN RDXaAl-85a15 (80a20) NMP TAGN RDXaTNT-60a40 NTO RDXaHTPB-85a15 AMP TNAD BAED CaN-DNBTraW-93/7 DINA DINA-Dynamite-90a10 Tetryl TATB NTOaHNEaW-76a19a5 DINGUaTNT-60a40 Bis-MNDPy NITRA DADPyOx TATBaTNT-60a40 NIGUaTNT-60a40 2-MNDPy TMNTz NCaDINA-60a40 DINGUaHNEaW-63a32a5 ADPy ADPyOx TNT AHDPy DADPy RDXaW-50a50 PETNarubber-89a11 PETN (D 1) TAGNaW-50a0

1.71 1.73 1.78 1.81 1.68 1.81 1.66 1.73 1.76 1.81 1.65 1.75 1.72 1.78 1.75 1.47 1.74 1.81 1.57 1.67 1.64 1.51 1.57 1.62 1.61 1.71 1.86 1.64 1.79 1.60 1.56 1.80 1.79 1.69 1.63 1.53 1.55 1.63 1.67 1.69 1.60 1.72 1.69 2.92 1.20 0.98 2.48

9023 9008 9000 8773 8675 8611 8522 8489 8368 8319 8277 8160 8142 8114 8054 8048 7965 7959 7897 7876 7775 7773 7767 7713 7665 7573 7539 7523 7488 7361 7350 7328 7303 7269 7266 7228 7227 6986 6973 6963 6913 6813 6800 6501 6431 5516 5086

1.000 0.998 0.997 0.972 0.961 0.954 0.944 0.941 0.927 0.922 0.917 0.904 0.902 0.899 0.893 0.892 0.883 0.882 0.875 0.873 0.862 0.861 0.861 0.855 0.849 0.839 0.836 0.834 0.83 0.816 0.815 0.812 0.809 0.806 0.805 0.801 0.801 0.774 0.773 0.772 0.766 0.755 0.754 0.72 0.713 0.611 0.564

HMX HMXaHN-70a30 ETNaHMX-80a20 PETN DINA HMXaETN-65a35 HMXaHNaTAGN-45a40a15 HNaHMX-65a35 RDX DINA-Dynamite 90a10 RDXaHN-55a45 TeNHHPm HMXaTNT-70a30 RDXaAl-85a15 (80a20) RDXaTNT-60a40 NMP PETNaHN-45a55 BAED TNAD Tetryl Bis-MNDPy AMP RDXaHTPB-85a15 ANQ CaN-DNBTraW-93a7 TMNTz 2-MNDPy NCaDINA-60a40 TAGN TATBaTNT-60a40 TNT PETNarubber-89a11 DINGUaTNT-60a40 PETN (D 1) TATB DINGUaHNEaW-63a32a5 NIGUaTNT-60a40 NTO DADPyOx NITRA NTOaHNEaW-76a19a5 ADPyOx ADPy AHDPy RDXaW-50a50 DADPy TAGNaW-50a50

1.81 1.78 1.75 1.72 1.62 1.79 1.73 1.71 1.73 1.61 1.68 1.76 1.81 1.78 1.74 1.75 1.65 1.51 1.64 1.71 1.63 1.67 1.57 1.66 1.57 1.53 1.60 1.55 1.47 1.79 1.60 1.20 1.79 0.98 1.86 1.63 1.69 1.81 1.80 1.56 1.64 1.69 1.67 1.72 2.92 1.58 2.48

2.96 2.95 2.93 2.92 2.89 2.89 2.88 2.88 2.87 2.85 2.85 2.82 2.79 2.75 2.75 2.71 2.71 2.69 2.66 2.64 2.61 2.60 2.56 2.55 2.55 2.50 2.49 2.49 2.47 2.42 2.39 2.38 2.36 2.35 2.34 2.32 2.32 2.32 2.30 2.28 2.27 2.20 2.10 1.92 1.89 1.72 1.65

1.000 0.997 0.99 0.986 0.976 0.976 0.973 0.973 0.97 0.963 0.963 0.953 0.943 0.929 0.929 0.916 0.916 0.909 0.899 0.892 0.882 0.878 0.865 0.861 0.861 0.845 0.841 0.841 0.834 0.818 0.807 0.804 0.797 0.794 0.791 0.784 0.784 0.784 0.777 0.77 0.767 0.743 0.709 0.649 0.639 0.581 0.557

128 Hans-Heinrich Licht

Table 3. Performance Characteristics: Plate-Dent-Test Explosive D (gacm )
3

Propellants, Explosives, Pyrotechnics 25, 126 132 (2000)

Table 4. Security Characteristics: DTAaTG Characteristics Explosive Tex (6 Ca/min) Characteristics Dent (mm )

HMXaETN-65a35 RDXaW-50a50 HMX RDX PETN HMXaHN-70a30 ETNaHMX-80a20 HMXaTNT-70a30 RDXaTNT-60a40 RDXaAl-80a20 HNaHMX-65a35 Tetryl TATBaTNT-60a40 TATB NTO RDXaHTPB-85a15 DINGUaTNT-60a40 ANQ TNT TAGNaW-50a50 DADPyOx TAGN DADPy PETN (D 1)

1.81 2.915 1.81 1.73 1.72 1.74 1.75 1.81 1.735 1.80 1.71 1.69 1.79 1.82 1.775 1.57 1.79 1.61 1.60 2.48 1.66 1.44 1.53 0.98

8.11 8.09 7.82 7.71 7.56 7.51 7.39 7.35 7.04 7.03 6.58 6.48 6.30 5.87 5.72 5.72 5.67 5.59 5.51 5.30 5.24 5.04 3.21 2.62

1.000 0.998 0.964 0.951 0.932 0.926 0.911 0.906 0.868 0.867 0.811 0.799 0.777 0.724 0.705 0.705 0.699 0.689 0.679 0.654 0.646 0.621 0.396 0.323

deviates strongly from the crystal density r and often attains only 90 95% of r. Additives 1% are not mentioned here. It was supposed that such quantities do (practically) not affect the material properties. As the D measurements were obtained from Gurney energy investigations, the experimental conditions are given by their technology (see below). Most results originate from cylindrical charges (1 16 mm, 145 mm long) with metal connement. Bigger charges (1 25 mm, 250 mm long) were chosen for IHEs (TATB, TNT cast). Charges in the form of an open-faced sandwich were only applied in special cases. p 3.1.2 Gurney Energy Piq For the determination of the Gurney energy we applied the fexperimental setup used by Defourneaux(2) for his ``coe cient balistique''. Here the deection angle of the accelerated metal connement following a detonation is recorded by an X-ray ash. The theoretical background allows to combine fcient balistique'' with Gurney's model. Thus the the ``coe data from the ISL tests can be taken to calculate a Gurney constant(3). This was the precondition to correlate different charge geometries. When this test is realized with a Cu tube (1 25 mm, 250 mm long) a direct correlation exists with the copper cylinder test but with the important difference that the ISL method gives as a result a concrete numeral value and not a graph. A parametric study(4) showed that the result is inuenced by different factors: the geometry (cylinder, open faced sandwich, symmetrical sandwich), the mass ratio m (metalaexplosive), the dimensions (tube length and diameter, plate thickness and width).

TATBaTNT-60a40 TATB DADPyOx DADPy TNT ADPy AHDPy HMXaETN-65a35 HMXaTNT-70a30 HMXaHN-70a30 NTO ETNaHMX-80a20 HMX NTOaHNEaW-76a19a5 DINGUaTNT-60a40 DINGUaHNEaW-63a32a5 HMXaHNaTAGN-45a40a15 RDXaAl-85a15 (80a20) RDXaW-50a50 RDXaTNT-60a40 HNaHMX-65a35 NITRA AMP TAGN RDXaHTPB-85a15 TAGNaW-50a50 TNAD ADPyOx RDX Tetryl TMNTz RDXaHN-55a45 DINA DINA-Dynamite (90a10) NiguaTNT-60a40 PETN PETN (D 1) ANQ BAED PETNaHN-45a55 NCaDINA-60a40 2-MNDPy Bis-MNDPy NMP TeNHHPm PETNarubber-89a11 CaN-DNBTr-93a7

376 373 356 350 305 300 300 291 289 288 284 283 280 280 257 254 239 239 237 235 232 226 225 225 218 218 218 210 210 210 210 209 207 207 203 202 202 201 200 200 191 190 190 190 188 185 160

1.000 0.992 0.947 0.931 0.811 0.798 0.798 0.780 0.769 0.766 0.755 0.753 0.745 0.745 0.684 0.676 0.636 0.636 0.630 0.625 0.617 0.601 0.598 0.598 0.580 0.580 0.580 0.559 0.559 0.559 0.559 0.556 0.551 0.551 0.540 0.537 0.537 0.535 0.532 0.532 0.508 0.505 0.505 0.505 0.500 0.492 0.426

These parameters have to be correlated if they are to be combined. The results from small tubes (1 16 mm) are only comparable with those from big ones (1 25 mm) in a certain m range. The same is true for plate charges and their relation to cylinders. The here cited Gurney constant is an average value from several experiments. 3.1.3 Plate Dent Test The dent volume or the dent depth formed after detonation of an unconned cylindrical charge of 35 mm Y on a steel

Propellants, Explosives, Pyrotechnics 25, 126132 (2000)

Table 5. Security Characteristics: Shock Sensitivity Explosive Drop Weight (N.m) Characteristics Explosive

Performance and Sensitivity of Explosives

Table 6. Security Characteristics: Gap Test

129

D (gacm3) Gap Test (kbar) Characteristics

ADPY AHDPy CaN-DNBTraW-93a7 DADPy DADPyOx TATB TATBaTNT-60a40 NTO NiguaTNT-60a40 HMXaTNT-70a30 DINGUaTNT-60a40 2-MNDPy TNT ADPyOx PETNaHN-45a55 TMNTz Tetryl RDXaTNT-60a40 DINA DINAaNC-90a10 TeNHHPm BAED NITRA RDXaHTPB-85a15 Bis-MNDPy RDX RDXaHN-55a45 TAGN HMXaETN-65a35 HMXaHN-70a30 HMXaHNaTAGN-45a40a15 NCaDINA-60a40 ANQ AMP DINGUaHNEaW-63a32a5 ETNaHMX-80a20 HNaHMX-65a35 NTOaHNEaW HMX RDXaAl-80a20 PETN PETN (D 1) PETNaHN-45a55 PETNarubber-89a11 NMP TNAD RDXaW-50a50 TAGNaW-50a50

b 25 (30) b 25 (30) b 25 (30) b 25 (30) b 25 (30) b 25 (30) b 25 (30) 25 22.5 20 17.5 17.5 15 12.5 12.5 12.5 6.5 15 (10.75) 10 7.5 7.5 7.5 6.5 6.5 6.5 5.5 3.5 7.5 (5.5) 5.5 5.5 5.0 5.0 5.0 5.0 4.5 4.5 4.5 4.5 4.5 4.5 4.0 1.5 6.5 (4.0) 3.5 3.5 3.5 3.5 2.0 2.0 ` 1.5 (1.0) ` 1.5 (1.0)

1.000 1.000 1.000 1.000 1.000 1.000 1.000 0.833 0.75 0.667 0.583 0.583 0.5 0.417 0.417 0.417 0.358 0.333 0.25 0.25 0.25 0.217 0.217 0.217 0.183 0.183 0.183 0.183 0.167 0.167 0.167 0.167 0.15 0.15 0.15 0.15 0.15 0.15 0.133 0.133 0.117 0.117 0.117 0.117 0.067 0.067 0.033 0.033

DADPy NTO TATB TNT (cast) TATBaTNT-60a40 ANQ DADPyOx RDXaHTPB-85a15 RDXaTNT-60a40 NiguaTNT-60a40 DINGUaTNT-60a40 HMXaTNT-70a30 TAGN RDX (class E) HMX Tetryl PETN

1.58 1.83 1.84 1.63 1.79 1.65 1.68 1.57 1.73 1.69 1.79 1.81 1.49 1.62 1.78 1.62 1.62

b 50 (55) b 50 (55) b 50 (55) b 50 (55) 42 39 39 36 28 27 26 20 18 12.4 11 9.5 3.9

1.000 1.000 1.000 1.000 0.764 0.709 0.709 0.655 0.509 0.491 0.473 0.364 0.327 0.225 0.200 0.173 0.071

3.2 Determination of Sensitivity Data With respect to the sensitivity one has to distinguish between mechanical sensitivity tests (``1st reaction'') and detonability tests (``detonation: yesano''). A third characteristic property is the thermal stability. 3.2.1 Thermal Stability Thermal stability is characterized with DTAaTG by the maximum of the decomposition peak when the sample is heated with 6 Kamin beginning at ambient temperature. 3.2.2 Shock Sensitivity Shock sensitivity has been determined by a drop weight test (``BAM'')(6). The lowest shock energy of the rst reaction of 6 experiments was taken as security criterion. The experiments were realized with a 1 kg weight between 15 and 75 cm and a 5 kg weight between 15 and 50 cm drop height, respectively. 3.2.3 Gap Test For the gap test as a method to describe the detonability we selected the BICT procedure(7): Donor charge of 10 g RDXawax-95a5 (D 1X6 gacm3) and a test charge of 1 25 mm 25 mm with water as gap material. The relatively small dimensions become critical when less sensitive materials (TATB, NTO) were tested.

plate(5) can be evaluated from the plate dent test. Neither the height of the charge nor the mode of initiation is critical. A height of ! 100 mm and the initiation by a booster of 23 g PETNawax-93a7 proved to be useful. As plates we used three discs (1 140 60 mm) of steel ST 37aXC 18 in a sand bed. In this report the results of the depth measurement are given because they are generally more easily accessible, although a volume determination can be realized quickly and in a simple manner by ``titration of the crater'' with wateraethanol.

4. Results and Discussion The individual performance data are combined in Tables 1 3, and those pertaining to security in Tables 4 6 in a descending order. After normalization they give a ``characteristic''.

130 Hans-Heinrich Licht

Table 7. Explosives Abbreviation

Propellants, Explosives, Pyrotechnics 25, 126 132 (2000)

Chemial Compound Ref.

ADPy ADPyOx AHDPy ANQ AMP BAED CaN-DNBTraW-93a7 DADPy DADPyOx DINA DINA-Dynamit (90a10) DINGU ETN HN HNE 2-MNDPy Bis-MNDPy Nigu NITRA NMP NTO TeNHHPm TMNTz TNAD W

4-Amino-3,5-dinitropyridine 4-Amino-3,5-dinitropyridine-N-oxide 2-Amino-6-hydroxy-3,5-dinitropyridine Aminonitroguanidine Azidomethyl-trinitrohexahydropyrimidine Bis(azido-methyl)-ethylendinitramine 4-Nitro-2-(1-nitro-1,2,4-triazol-3-yl)-1,2,3-triazole ( 7% wax) 2,6-Diamino-3,5-dinitropyridine 2,6-Diamino-3,5-dinitropyridine-N-oxide Bis(nitratoethyl)-nitramine DINAaNitrocellulose-90a10 Dinitroglycolurile Erythritol tetranitrate Hydrazine nitrate Hexanitroethane 2-Methyl-nitramino-3,5-dinitropyridine 2,6-Bis(methylnitramino)-3,5-dinitropyridine Nitroguanidine 3-Nitramino-1,2,4-triazole Nitrato-methyl-trinitro-hexahydropyrimidine Nitrotriazolone 1,1,3,5-Tetranitrohexahydropyrimidine 2,4,6-Tris(methylnitramino)-1,3,5-triazine Tetranitraza-decalin Wax, paraffine

(8) (8) (8) (14) (14) (10) (8) (8)

(11) (11) (12) (9) (16) (15) (13)

The exact names of chemical compounds and their origin are given in Table 7. The grain size or the distinction castapressed have only been respected in individual cases, although they may often be very important.

4.1 Performance Data The maximum detonation velocity of HMX (49000 mas) can only be obtained with a high charge preparation technology. So HMX has here only a Dexp 8773 mas. After addition of a castable high explosive with positive oxygen balance (HN) a performance enhancement is

Figure 1. Performance and security gures of standard explosives.

Propellants, Explosives, Pyrotechnics 25, 126132 (2000)

Table 8. Performance and Security Figures (Standard Explosives : bold print) Explosive Performance 2.2 3.3 Security 2.2 3.3

Performance and Sensitivity of Explosives

131

ADPy ADPyOx AHDPy ANQ AMP BAED CaN-DNBTraW-93a7 DADPy DADPyOx DINA DINA-Dynamite-90a10 DINGUaHNEaW-63a32a5 DINGUaTNT-60a40 ETNaHMX-80a20 HMX HMXaETN-65a35 HMXaHN-70a30 HMXaHNaTAGN-45a40a15 HMXaTNT-70a30 HNaHMX-65a35 2-MNDPy Bis-MNDPy NCaDINA-60a40 NiguaTNT-60a40 NITRA NMP NTO NTOaHNEaW-76a19a5 PETN PETN (D 1) PETNaHN-45a55 PETNarubber-89a11 RDX RDXaAl-85a15 (80a20) RDXaHN-55a45 RDXaTNT-60a40 RDXaHTPB-85a15 RDXaW-50a50 TAGN TAGNaW-50a50 TATB TATBaTNT-60a40 TeNHHPm Tetryl TMNTz TNAD TNT

0.548 0.574 0.490 0.813 0.766 0.783 0.741 0.438 0.631 0.834 0.818 0.607 0.662 0.895 0.972 0.931 0.994 0.971 0.869 0.973 0.677 0.720 0.674 0.632 0.628 0.818 0.691 0.64 0.889 0.485 0.84 0.573 0.913 0.835 0.925 0.820 0.757 0.460 0.744 0.314 0.661 0.662 0.883 0.748 0.677 0.775 0.618

0.560

0.173 0.408

0.463 0.937

0.788

0.487 0.829

0.868 0.712 0.534 0.462 0.479 0.514 0.598 0.420

0.798 0.233 0.798 0.080 0.090 0.115 0.426 0.931 0.947 0.138 0.138 0.101 0.399 0.113 0.099 0.130 0.128 0.106 0.513 0.093 0.294 0.092 0.085 0.405 0.130 0.034 0.629 0.112 0.063 0.063 0.062 0.058 0.102 0.085 0.102 0.208 0.126 0.021 0.109 0.019 0.992 1.000 0.125 0.200 0.233 0.039 0.406

0.057

0.931 0.671
Figure 2. PerformanceaSecurity: standard explosives.

0.189 0.020

0.187

enhancement. We suppose that HNE does not exhibit sufciently distinct explosive properties, that means HNE does not react in the detonation zone (of NTO). Addition of metals (15 20% Al or 50% W) always results in a p dilution effect with respect to the observed performance (D, 2EG ). On the other hand, in the plate dent test a higher performance is realized which is possibly only an abrasion effect of a secondary reaction. 4.2 Security Data

0.629 0.004

0.023 0.106 0.082 0.036 0.992 0.764 0.035 0.406

The strong inuence of metal addition on shock sensitivity should be emphasized. The maximumaminimum results of the thermal stability only differ by the factor 2. There are materials which have only a limited stability up to 150  C, on the other hand compounds exist which endure 4350  C not easy to realize for any organic compound, especially for an explosive.

5. Combination of Performance and Security Data Figure 1 demonstrates how performance and security characteristics can be composed by addition of single data. More information is obtained when the performance and security respectively characteristics are multiplied with each other. This results in a ``performance gure'' (Figs. 2 and 3), according to 2 or 3 parameters taken into account (Table 8). The graph (Fig. 2) shows that common explosives are found below a virtual border line for which is valid that high explosives are sensitive, and on the other hand insensitive explosives, which can be handled without restrictions, do not have an attractive performance.

Example (NTO): Performance 3.3: 0.882 (Tab. 1)* 0.784 (Tab. 2)* 0.705 (Tab. 3) 0.487 Security 2.2: 0.755 (Tab. 4)* 0.833 (Tab. 5) 0.629

observed despite of a reduced density. This lower density, especially the lower molecular weight of the hydrazine nitrate consisting of light elements (H !) is responsible for the reduced ballistic performance of such formulations. This argument is also valid for the high D of ANQ (exceeding that of RDX) and its disappointing low Gurney energy. Comparable results were found for PETNaHN. An addition of HNE (with its advantageous oxygen excess) to NTO did not result in the desired performance

6. Application But also the ``ideal explosive candidate'' can be recognized approaching the aim ``high performance high security'' (Fig. 3). Among the discussed energetic materials we nd TATB and its cast mixtures with TNT and perhaps also

132 Hans-Heinrich Licht

Propellants, Explosives, Pyrotechnics 25, 126 132 (2000)

(2) a) M. Defourneaux and L. Jacques, 5th Symposium on Detonation, Pasadena, August 18 21, 1970. b) M. Defourneaux, Sciences et Techniques de l'Armement 3 & 4, 73 (1973). (3) H. H. Licht and A. Baumann, ISL-RT 521a88. nko ping, (4) H. H. Licht, Proc. 16th International Pyrot. Seminar, Jo June 24 28, 1991, 314. (5) H. H. Licht and J. Schwab, ISL-R 112a91. (6) H. Koenen, K. H. Ide, and K. H. Swart, Explosivstoffe 9, 30 42 (1961). (7) a) F. Trimborn, Explosivstoffe 15, 169 175 (1967); b) F. Trimborn and R. Wild, Propellants, Explosives, Pyrotechnics 7, 87 90 (1982). (8) a) H. Ritter and H. H. Licht, J. Heterocycl.Chem. 32, 585 590 (1995); b) H. H. Licht and B. Wanders, ISL-RT 510a89; c) H. H. Licht, B. Wanders, and H. Ritter, ISL-R 101a89; d) H. H. Licht, 24th Internat. Annual Conference of ICT, June 29 July 2, 1993, Karlsruhe, Fraunhofer-Institut fu r Chemische Technologie, ICT, Pnztal, Germany. (9) H. Ritter, I. Bischoff, G. Kriegel, L. Philipp, and H. H. Licht, ISL-R 130a84. fer, B. Wanders, and H. H. (10) a) H. Ritter, Ph. Michaud, M. Scha Licht, ISL-PU 360a96; b) H. Ritter and H. H. Licht, ISL-RT 502a96; c) H. Ritter, S. Braun, P. L. Carrette, and H. H. Licht, ISL-RT 504a98. (11) a) H. Ritter, N. Fell, and E. Gallois, ISL-RT 502a90; b) H. H. Licht, H. Ritter, N. Fell, and B. Wanders, ISL-R 101a92; c) H. Ritter and H. H. Licht, Propellants, Explosives, Pyrotechnics 18, 81 88 (1993). fer, B. Wanders, and H. Ritter, (12) a) H. H. Licht, S. Braun, M. Scha ISL-R 104a94); b) H. H. Licht and H. Ritter, J. Energ. Mat. 12, fer, B. 223 235 (1994); c) H. H. Licht, S. Braun, M. Scha Wanders, and H. Ritter, ISL-R 124a97. fer, B. Wanders, and H. H. (13) a) H. Ritter, Ph. Michaud, M. Scha fer, and H. H. Licht, Licht, ISL-RT 502a96; b) H. Ritter, M. Scha ISL-RT 510a96. (14) a) H. Ritter and Ph. Robert, ISL-RT 506a86; b) H. Ritter, ISL-CO 253a86; c) H. Ritter, ISL-CO 243a89. (15) H. Ritter, S. Braun, and N. Fell, ISL-R 114a92. (16) H. Ritter and B. Wanders, ISL-RT 511a8.

Figure 3. PerformanceaSecurity: exceptions.

DADPyOx. (HMXaTNT is a critical case: It exhibits an interesting performance/sensitivity ratio when only two tests are taken into account). The IHE TATB and DADPyOx accomplish an important precondition as they possess the best structure for an energetic molecule: Cyclic, aromatic, highly nitrated, a stabilizing effect from the intramolecular hydrogen bonding between the nitro and the adjacent amino groups. Mixtures of IHE and sensitive but brisant high explosives may be in practice a reasonable compromise with respect to performance and sensitivity. The application of the described procedure allows to test future developments and novel formulations with regard to a progress towards the ideal high explosive. 7. References
(1) a) H. H. Licht, ISL-R 105a91; b) H. H. Licht and B. Wanders, ISL-CO 206a91.

(Received January 12, 2000; Ms 2000/003)