The Optimization of Detonation Properties in Gaseous Mixtures and Mixed Explosive Materials

The main objective of this research is to find compositions with optimum detonation properties. The detonation properties were obtained based on the Chapman-Jouguet (CJ) theory. These properties and the amount of mixture components are defined as objective functions and optimization variables, respectively. The present study was performed for both gaseous mixtures and mixed condensed explosive materials. In the former, the equivalence ratio with optimum detonation properties was found and compared with those obtained from the CEA code. It was found that, in gaseous mixtures, the optimum value for different detonation parameters occurred in different equivalence ratios. For amatol, an industrial high explosive, the best properties corresponded to a composition of 10% trinitrotoluene (TNT) and 90% ammonium nitrate (AN), while the current composition, which is widely used, consists of 20% TNT and 80% AN. It was also found that, in two-component mixed explosives, the composition for zero oxygen balance was close to the composition that yields the maximum pressure and velocity.