Explosives Literature Specifications

It is important to note that all the parameters quoted for explosives in technical literature are calculated parameters rather than measured parameters. Energies, temperatures, pressures etc, simply cannot be measured. At present, there is no available device or probe that is able to be present at a detonation front and survive to provide data about the true detonation conditions. As a result, computer simulation of the detonation process is used as a substitute. Computer simulation generally assumes ideal detonations (or detonation as it would happen in a hole of infinite diameter), and also assumes a particular state for the gaseous products after detonation. Nobody has yet determined a totally satisfactory equation of state for a mixture of gases in the vicinity of 10⁵ atmospheres. At this pressure, the distinction between a solid and a gas becomes blurred. These considerations should always be taken into account when reading explosive specifications. In addition, every manufacturer has their own computer codes for these simulations, which cannot be checked or crosschecked, as they are not in the public domain.