Hexanitrostilbene (HNS) is a widely used explosive, due in part to its high thermal stability. Degradation of HNS is
known to occur through UV, chemical exposure, and heat exposure, which can lead to reduced performance of the
material. Common methods of testing for HNS degradation include wet chemical and surface area testing of the material
itself, and performance testing of devices that use HNS. The commonly used chemical tests, such as volatility,
conductivity and contaminant trapping provide information on contaminants rather than the chemical stability of the
HNS itself. Additionally, these tests are destructive in nature. As an alternative to these methods, we have been
exploring the use of vibrational spectroscopy as a means of monitoring HNS degradation non-destructively. In
particular, infrared (IR) spectroscopy lends itself well to non-destructive analysis. Molecular variations in the material
can be identified and compared to pure samples. The utility of IR spectroscopy was evaluated using pressed pellets of
HNS exposed to DETA (diethylaminetriamine). Amines are known to degrade HNS, with the proposed product being a
σ-adduct. We have followed these changes as a function of time using various IR sampling techniques including
photoacoustic and attenuated total reflectance (ATR).
Engineers have devised a novel ultra-short pulse laser lathe system for bulk micromachining of axisymmetric features in
energetic material samples with three-dimensional cylindrical geometry. One hundred twenty femtosecond pulses from
an 800-nm Ti:sapphire laser were utilized to machine hexanitrostilbene (HNS) rods with diameters less than 200
micrometers and greater than 5:1 aspect ratio without ignition and subsequent bulk combustion or detonation. To date,
this work represents the smallest energetic material rod structures fabricated by this technology. Results indicate that
surface roughness is dependent upon rotation speed and feed rate. Valuable explosive nano-particles were discovered,
collected, and analyzed as a byproduct of fabrication.
Evaluation of laser initiated explosive trains has been an area of extreme interest due to the safety benefits of these systems relative to traditional electro-explosive devices. A particularly important difference is these devices are inherently less electro-static discharge (ESD) sensitive relative to traditional explosive devices due to the isolation of electrical power and associated materials from the explosive interface. This paper will report work conducted at Sandia National Laboratories' Explosive Components Facility, which evaluated the initiation and deflagration-to-detonation characteristics of a Laser Driven Exploding Bridgewire detonator. This paper will report and discuss characteristics of Laser Exploding Bridgewire devices loaded with hexanitrohexaazaisowurtzitane (CL-20) and tetraammine-cis-bis-(5-nitro-2H-tetrazolato-N2) cobalt (III) perchlorate (BNCP).
Conference Committee Involvement (3)
Optical Technologies for Arming, Safing, Fuzing, and Firing III
29 August 2007 | San Diego, California, United States
Optical Technologies for Arming, Safing, Fuzing, and Firing II
14 August 2006 | San Diego, California, United States
Optical Technologies for Arming, Safing, Fuzing, and Firing
4 August 2005 | San Diego, California, United States
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