Transparent Tube Studies of Burning to Detonation Transition in Granular Explosives 1: Preliminary Framing Camera Studies

Abstract
Burning of relatively high porosity granular explosive charges, confined in transparent plastic tubes, was photographed with a framing camera. Observed luminous fronts corresponded to the displacement of the charge from the ignitor by the mild gas pressure of the ignitor, an increased rate of displacement once the explosive itself ignited, and the propagation of flame down the charge. Luminous flame velocities were similar to convective ignition front velocities measured by ionization probes in previous steel tube studies. In charges of 94/6 RDX/wax, luminous front velocities were similar to the high order compressive burning which followed the convective ignition front in steel tube studies. Although all these explosives tested previously in steel tube studies achieved a transition from deflagration to detonation, only coarse tetryl (470 micrometers) transited to detonation in the low confinement of the plastic tube.

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