Integrated Experimental and Modeling Studies to Predict the Impact Response of Explosives and Propellants

Understanding and predicting the impact response of explosives and propellants remains a challenging area in the energetic materials field. Efforts are underway at LLNL (and other laboratories) to apply modern diagnostic tools and computational analysis to move beyond the current level of imprecise approximations towards a predictive approach more closely based on fundamental understanding of the relevant mechanisms. In this paper we will discuss a set of underlying mechanisms that govern the impact response of explosives and propellants: (a) mechanical insult (impact) leading to material damage and/or direct ignition; (b) ignition leading to flame spreading; (c) combustion being driven by flame spreading, perhaps in damaged materials; (d) combustion causing further material damage; (e) combustion leading to pressure build-up or relief; (f) pressure changes driving the rates of combustion and flame spread; (g) pressure buildup leading to structural response and damage, which causes many of the physical hazards. We will briefly discuss our approach to modeling up these mechanistic steps using ALE 3D, the LLNL hydrodynamic code with fully coupled chemistry, heat flow, mass transfer, and slow mechanical motion as well as hydrodynamic processes. We will identify the necessary material properties needed for our models, and will discuss our experimental effortsmore » to characterize these properties and the overall mechanistic steps, in order to develop and parameterize the models in ALE 3D and to develop a qualitative understanding of impact response.« less