Influence of Al content and surrounding medium on the energy output of cyclotrimethylenetrinitramine (RDX)/Al/wax explosives

RDX/Al/wax explosives (RDX=cyclotrimethylenetrinitramine; (O2NNCH2)(3)) were studied in experiments designed to elucidate the effects of Al content and the surrounding medium on the energy output of aluminized explosives. Explosives with Al contents of 0%, 15%, and 30% were compared in water and concrete media. Results indicate that the explosive's bubble energy in water is higher (by 66%-90%) than the expansion energy in concrete. Heat, sound, and other energies in water (0.28-0.84MJkg(-1)) were much lower than that in concrete (1.49-2.81MJkg(-1)). For shock wave energy, the different media have much less impact on shock wave energy, with that in water being only 0.7%-7% higher than in concrete. The test data presented in this paper improve our understanding of how Al and the surrounding medium contribute to the energy output of the explosive, which is of great significance for improving the energy utilization efficiency of aluminized explosives in water and concrete.

Automated summary

Experiments showed that the bubble energy of explosives in water is higher than the expansion energy in concrete, with heat, sound, and other energies also significantly lower in water compared to concrete. However, the impact of different media on shock wave energy was minimal, with water only slightly higher than in concrete. The findings improve understanding of how Al and the surrounding medium affect the energy output of explosives.