Combined Effects Aluminized Explosives Modeling and Development

The theory and performance is reviewed for recently developed combined effects aluminized explosives. Traditional high-energy explosives used for metal pushing incorporate high loading percentages of HMX or RDX, whereas traditional blast explosives commonly incorporate some percentage of aluminum. Although these high-blast explosives produce increased blast energies, they normally produce reduced metal pushing capability due to the relatively late time aluminum reaction. The combined effects aluminized explosives achieve both excellent metal pushing and high blast energies. The enhanced metal pushing capability is due to the earlier exothermic conversion of aluminum to aluminum oxide as compared to the usual blast explosives. Traditional Chapman-Jouguet detonation theory with completely reacted aluminum does not explain the observed detonation states achieved by these combined effects explosives. It is demonstrated that eigenvalue detonation theory explains the observed behavior and that both high metal pushing capability and high blast are achieved using these new explosives.