Estimated Detonation Velocities for TKX‐50, MAD‐X1, BDNAPM,BTNPM, TKX‐55, and DAAF using the Laser–induced Air Shock from Energetic Materials Technique

Since new energetic materials are initially produced in very small quantities for both safety and cost reasons, laboratory‐scale methods for characterizing their performance are essential for determining the most promising candidates for scale‐up. Laser‐induced air shock from energetic materials (LASEM) is a promising new method for estimating the detonation velocity of novel explosives using milligram amounts of material, while simultaneously investigating their high temperature chemical reactions. LASEM has been applied to 6 new explosives for the first time: TKX‐50, MAD−X1, BDNAPM, BTNPM, TKX‐55, and DAAF. Emission spectroscopy of the laser excited materials revealed the formation of the high pressure bands of C₂ during the ensuing exothermic reactions. The low thermal sensitivity of the materials also led to unusual laser‐material interactions, visualized with high‐speed video. The estimated detonation velocities for the 6 explosives were compared to predicted values from EXPLO5 and CHEETAH. The LASEM results suggest that TKX‐55, BDNAPM, and BTNPM have higher detonation velocities than predicted by the thermochemical codes, while the estimated detonation velocities for MAD−X1 and TKX‐50 are slightly lower than those predicted.