In the disposal of explosives, preparation of the dismantled material
is necessary before subjecting it to a breakdown process. Knowledge of
the material properties and determination of safety-related parameter
s are major prerequirements when designing a disposal facility and inc
reasing handling safety. When TNT is treated using emulsion processing
, a desensitization of the TNT melt via the aqueous phase is obtained,
in addition to increasing the surface area of the TNT phase. During t
he entire process ot TNT treatment, the system is exposed to a wide ra
nge of different stresses as a result of the mechanical energy applied
. This study presents the results of an investigation on the sensitivi
ty of pure TNT melts and TNT/water emulsions at different concentratio
ns on exposure to the applied impact or shock energies. It is found th
at the impact sensitivity of a TNT/water emulsion is lower by a factor
of 4 when the TNT concentration has been reduced from 50 wt % to 30 w
t %. On exposure to stress from a detonation shock wave, a desensitiza
tion of the system due to the aqueous phase is also found, so that the
safety of the TNT treatment process can be increased by using a TNT/w
ater emulsion when applying mechanical breakdown methods.