DETONATION-WAVES IN TRIAMINOTRINITROBENZENE

Fabry-Perot laser interferometry is used to obtain nanosecond time res olved particle velocity histories of the free surfaces of copper, tant alum, or magnesium disks driven by detonating triaminotrinitrobenzene (TATB)-based charges and of the interfaces between detonating TATE and transparent salt crystals. Detonation reaction zone profiles are meas ured for self-sustaining detonation waves propagating through various thicknesses of LX-17 (92.5% TATE and 7.5% KelF binder) and pure ultraf ine particle size TATE. The experimental records are compared to parti cle velocity histories calculated with the DYNA2D hydrodynamic code us ing the ignition and growth reactive flow model. The calculations yiel d excellent agreement with the experimental records for LX-17 using an unreacted von Neumann spike pressure of 33.7 GPa, a reaction-rate law which releases 70% of the chemical energy within 100 ns, and the rema ining 30% over 300 additional ns, and a reaction product equation of s tate fit to cylinder test and supracompression data with a Chapman-Jou guet (C-J) pressure of 25 GPa. The late time energy release is attribu ted to diffusion controlled solid carbon particle formation. Ultrafine TATE, pressed to a lower density (1.80 g/cm(3)) than LX-17 (1.905 g/c m(3)), exhibits lower unreacted spike and C-J pressures than LX-17 but similar reaction rates. (C) 1997 American Institute of Physics.