Mixed explosive gas gun target technique for the study of the shock to detonation transition of insensitive high explosives

Experimental data on the shock initiation characteristics of high explosives is commonly used for both the calibration and validation of explosive models. Planar impact gas gun experiments provide a repeatable means of generating this data within ‘simple’ one dimensional strain conditions. However, for low sensitivity explosives, the number of guns that can generate a pressure great enough to elicit a reaction in such materials is low. We describe a series of experiments using a mixed explosive target concept whereby the magnitude of the input shock is amplified by the partial completion of the shock to detonation transition in a more sensitive explosive layer before being transmitted into the less sensitive explosive section under study. Through careful selection of an inert intermediatory layer it is possible to transmit chosen complex shocks in the second explosive. This extra layer also separates the second explosive from the energetic products in the first. Data was collected using the embedded, magnetic particle velocity gauge technique and can then be used for the validation of explosive models for the second explosive in the chain.