Traditional manufacturing of energetic materials involves processing o
f granular solids. One application is the production of detonators whe
re powders of energetic material and a binder are typically mixed and
compacted at high pressure to make pellets. Performance properties are
strongly dependent on particle size distribution, surface area of its
constituents, homogeneity of the mix, and void volume. The goal is to
produce detonators with fast energy release rate that are insensitive
to unintended initiation. Preparation of detonators from xerogel mold
ing powders and aerogels, and comparison with materials produced by st
ate-of-the-art technology are described. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V
. All rights reserved.