EP1876160B1 - Active blasting charge - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a highly explosive blast active charge.

Conventional high-explosive (HE) blast charges such as WO 2004/069771 and EP 1584610 A2 are known, typically consist of mixtures of explosives with metallic fuels such as boron, silicon, aluminum, titanium, zirconium, magnesium or mixtures or metal-rich compounds or alloys of these metals.

An inherent disadvantage of using metals in both binary and uniform charges of this type is the fact that the combustion of metal particles is generally affected only insignificantly by the atmospheric pressure. This means that the pressure exponent ^{n is} only very small in Vielle's law r = a · p ⁿ . In addition, metals generally suffer from the defect that the oxide layers adhering to them prevent rapid burnout. In particular, the calorically so advantageous boron with a volume-related combustion enthalpy of 138 MJ / dm ³ due to the inherent B ₂ O ₃ layer does not participate fully in a reaction, be it in the detonation reaction zone or in the afterburning.

• ein kleiner Druckexponent n der verwendeten Metalle und damit kaum Steigerung der Ausbrandgeschwindigkeit in geschlossenen Räumen, und
• eine unvollständige Reaktion der Metalle aufgrund von Oxidschichten.

The problems of conventional metal-based blast charges are:

• a small pressure exponent n of the metals used and thus hardly any increase in the burnout rate in enclosed spaces, and
• an incomplete reaction of the metals due to oxide layers.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a high explosive blast active charge which addresses the above-mentioned problems with conventional blast active charges avoids. In particular, the blast active charge should achieve higher performance, ie a faster and as complete as possible burnout in enclosed spaces.

This object is achieved by a blast active charge with the features of claim 1. Advantageous embodiments and further developments of the invention are the subject of the dependent claims.

The blast active charge proposed according to the present invention consists of red phosphorus or a red phosphorus-containing compound, an explosive and a binder.

• ein hoher Druckexponent n und damit ein beschleunigter Ausbrand in geschlossenen Räumen, und
• eine hohe Flüchtigkeit des entstehenden Oxids und damit ein Beitrag zur Druck-Volumenarbeit.

The advantages of such, red phosphorus included blast charge are in particular

• a high pressure exponent n and thus an accelerated burnout in closed rooms, and
• a high volatility of the resulting oxide and thus a contribution to the pressure-volume work.

The blast charge is thus highly explosive, burns faster and more complete than conventional metal-based blast charges and achieves a very high pressure volume work.

The binder of the blast active charge may optionally be an inert binder or an explosive, such as TNT or TATB.

The molecular P / O ratio of the blast active charge can be both ≤ 2/5 and ≥ 2/5.

The above and other features and advantages of the invention will become more apparent from the following description of a preferred, non-limiting embodiment thereof.

The present invention solves the above-described problems of conventional metal-based blast reactor charges through the use of red phosphorus.

If red phosphorus is ignited under atmospheric pressure, a slow burn-off occurs in the range of 0.1 mm / s. On the other hand, oxygen-based pyrotechnic compositions based on red phosphorus deliver burn rates of 1-2 mm / s. If such sentences are included, an explosive burn-up takes place after ignition.

Mixtures of the system octogen (explosive of the empirical formula C ₄ H ₈ N ₈ O ₈ , cyclotetramethylenetetranitramine, also referred to as homocyclonites or HMX (High Melting Explosive)) / hydroxyl-terminated poly-butadiene (HTPB, use as fuel and binder) and red phosphorus (RP) provide detonation velocities in excess of those of pure HMX. For example, the HMX / HTPB / RP ternary system with the mixing ratio of 68/12/20 provides a detonation rate of about 11,100 m / s and a Chapman-Jouget pressure of not less than 55 GPa.

Of course, the invention is not limited only to blast active charges with the above ternary system HMX / HTPB / RP.

For example, as the binder, an explosive such as TNT or TATB may be used in place of the non-explosive and low-inflammatory HTPB.

Furthermore, depending on their composition, the molecular P / O ratio of the blast active charge may be both ≤ 2/5 and ≥ 2/5.

The use of red phosphorus or red phosphorus-containing compounds in the blast active charge of the invention causes a high pressure exponent n in the aforementioned Vielle's Law, resulting in accelerated burnout in confined spaces. In addition, the resulting oxide is highly volatile in this case (e.g., from about 250 ° C), resulting in a complete or at least nearly complete reaction of the active charge and at the same time contributing to pressure-volume work. In addition, as apparent from the above description, blast active charge requires a smaller amount of expensive nitramines such as HMX and the like than conventional systems.

Claims (5)

1. Blast effect charge, comprising the explosive Oktogen (HMX), a binder and red phosphorus (RP), with the red phosphorus (RP) being designed to produce a high pressure exponent and thus accelerated combustion in enclosed areas, with high volatility of the resultant oxide making a contribution to the pressure-volume work.
2. Blast effect charge according to Claim 1, characterized in that the binder is hydroxyl-terminated polybutadiene (HTPB).
3. Blast effect charge according to Claim 2, comprising the explosive Oktogen (HMX), the binder hydroxyl-terminated polybutadiene (HTPB) and red phosphorus (RP) in a mixture ratio of HMX/HTPB/RP equal to 68/12/20.
4. Blast effect charge according to Claim 1, characterized in that the binder is an explosive.
5. Blast effect charge according to Claim 4, characterized in that the binder is TNT or TATB.