Method of Comparing Initiating Strength of Detonators Using Adjustable-Sensitivity Liquid Explosive

摘要

The U.S. Bureau of Mines (USBM) has developed a test procedure to compare theinitiating strength of detonators by using adjustable-sensitivity liquid explosives. Various tests of detonator strength are currently used by the industry, but many of them do not quantify the ability of detonators to initiate detonation reactions in an explosive charge. The USBM used mixtures of nitromethane and ethylene diamine, the sensitivity being 'fine-tuned' by 2-nitropropane. Military standard J-2, commercial No. 6, and commercial No. 8 detonators were evaluated using three test configurations: (1) axially immersed in the test explosive, (2) tip just touching surface of the explosive, and (3) immersed transversely in the explosive.