Diameter Effect and Failure Diameter of a TATB‐Based Explosive

The detonation velocity of PBX‐9502, an explosive consisting of 95 wt% TATB and 5 wt% Kel‐F 800, was measured precisely over a range of charge diameters at 75°C, 24°C, and −55 °C. The diameter‐effect curves obtained by plotting detonation velocity versus the reciprocal of charge radius were found to differ from those reported in the literature for other solid and liquid explosives, being concave upward at large diameters. The curve at 75°C was found to be a straight line at small diameters and thus simulates the behavior of a homogeneous explosive. At intermediate charge diameters, the effect of varying the temperature by 130°C was quite small. The failure diameter varied from 5.85 ± 0.15 mm at 75°C to 10.5 mm at −55 °C.