Studies of detonation characteristics of aluminum enriched RDX compositions

Research on the effect of aluminum contents and of its particle size on detonation characteristics of RDX-based compositions containing 15-60% aluminum was carried out. Measurements of detonation velocity for different charge diameters and confinements were performed. To measure the shock curvature of the detonation wave, X-ray photography was applied. Unconfined charges and charges confined with a water envelope were tested. The radius of the detonation front curvature was determined. The cylinder test results,were the basis for determination of the acceleration ability and energetic characteristics of the detonation products of the mixtures. The Gurney energy describing the acceleration ability was found. The detonation energy of the mixtures tested was also estimated from the cylinder test data.