Energy Partition in an Impacted or Shocked Solid Composite Propellant

Abstract

The calculation of the shock Hugoniot of a composite propellant from the experimental Hugoniot of the components is discussed. The calculated Hugoniot of a composite HMX explosive-polyurethane binder propellant is shown to be in good agreement with experiment. The homogeneous shock temperature of the bulk propellant and its components is calculated numerically using the Walsh-Christian equation, but including the effect of temperature on heat capacity. The shock temperature of the binder is greater than that of the explosive. The factors that control the energy partition in an impacted or shocked composite propellant are discussed. It is shown how the addition of a polymeric binder to an explosive reduces the shock temperature, which in turn reduces the sensitivity of the material to impact or shock ignition.