| Abstract Scope |
All solid energetics are crystalline materials, including nitrated energetics. These are supplied in a powder form and formulated for multiple applications across the mining, constructions and defence sectors. Crystalline materials often contain defects, which could influence their deflagration and detonation behaviour, and which have potential to affect the performance parameters and the safety when processing. Powdered energetics are a mixture of smaller crystals (with their intrinsic defects) but also possibly with impurities from the environment. Testing the sensitivity gives an average response to stimuli from the outside environment. By growing large single crystals, dust and grit are eliminated from the sample and the levels of defects present can be controlled. Once grown crystals can be sliced and subjected to shockwaves, tracking the shockwaves through the crystal slices gives data that can be used to plot a Hugoniot curve which characterise the shock response of the material. |