Molecular Dynamics Investigation of the Desensitization of Detonable Material

A molecular dynamics investigation of the effects of a diluent on the detonation of a model crystalline explosive is presented. The diluent, a heavy material that cannot exothermally react with any species of the system, is inserted into the crystalline explosive in two ways. The first series of simulations investigates the attenuation of the energy of a detonation wave in a pure explosive after it encounters a small layer of crystalline diluent that has been inserted into the lattice of the pure explosive. After the shock wave has traversed the diluent layer, it reenters pure explosive. Unsupported detonation is not reestablished unless the energy of the detonation wave exceeds a threshold value. The second series of simulations investigates detonation of solid solutions of different concentrations of explosive and diluent. For both types of simulations, the key to reestablishing or reaching unsupported detonation is the attainment of a critical number density behind the shock front. Once this critical density is reached, the explosive molecules transition to an atomic phase. This is the first step in the reaction mechanism that leads to the heat release that sustains the detonation. The reactive fragments formed from the atomization of the heteronuclear reactants subsequently combine with new partners, with homonuclear product formation exothermally favored.