Interaction of aluminum with detonation products

A method of electrical conductivity and an analysis of recovered explosion products are used to study interaction of aluminum with detonation products of condensed high explosives. The electrical conductivity of HMX/Al and RDX/Al mixtures is inhomogeneous; a region with the maximum electrical conductivity is adjacent to the detonation front, whereas the electrical conductivity decreases with distance from the front. If the wave is incident onto a wall, the electrical resistance of the composite high explosive increases, which indicates that the high-conducting zone disappears. The electrical conductivity, resistance of the conducting zone, and the time of resistance growth are found as functions of the particle size of the additive. The results obtained confirm the reaction of the metal additive with detonation products in a microsecond range of time. An analysis of condensed explosion products shows that the reaction of aluminum with detonation products proceeds on the particle surface. The amount of reacted aluminum and the oxide-layer thickness are estimated.