Citation

Hobbs ML, Wente WB, Kaneshige MJ. J. Phys. Chem. A 2010; 114(16): 5306-5319.

Affiliation

Engineering Sciences Center, Nanoscale and Reactive Processes Department, Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87105, USA. mlhobbs@sandia.gov

Copyright

(Copyright © 2010, American Chemical Society)

DOI

10.1021/jp1007329

PMID

20361790

Abstract

Ignition experiments from various sources, including our own laboratory, have been used to develop a simple ignition model for pentaerythritol tetranitrate (PETN). The experiments consist of differential thermal analysis, thermogravimetric analysis, differential scanning calorimetry, beaker tests, one-dimensional time to explosion tests, Sandia's instrumented thermal ignition tests (SITI), and thermal ignition of nonelectrical detonators. The model developed using this data consists of a one-step, first-order, pressure-independent mechanism used to predict pressure, temperature, and time to ignition for various configurations. The model was used to assess the state of the degraded PETN at the onset of ignition. We propose that cookoff violence for PETN can be correlated with the extent of reaction at the onset of ignition. This hypothesis was tested by evaluating metal deformation produced from detonators encased in copper as well as comparing postignition photos of the SITI experiments.

Language: en