DDT Sensitivity of Powdered

Emulsion Explosives1
Wang Xuguang, Song Jinquan, Duan Baofu, Xiong Daiyu
Beijing General Research Institute of Mining & Metallurgy, Beijing 100044

Abstract
Deflagration to Detonation Transition (DDT) experiments of powdered emulsion explosives (PEE) beds with different
average sizes of PEE particles, different Al content in PEE and different densities of PEE are carried out by thermal
ignition. Effect rules of these effect factors on the DDT sensitivity of powdered emulsion explosives are also
investigated. Theory analysis is conducted on DDT sensitivity of powdered emulsion explosives. The research is
beneficial to the production and use of PEE.
KEYWORDS powdered emulsion explosives, deflagration to detonation transition, sensitivity, effect factors, By the
actions of heat accumulation and fire source, the PEE will burn when a certain temperature of ignition is reached. It is
disastrous when DDT phenomenon happen during the process of PEE production, transportation, storage and
utilization. So it is of great significance to research DDT sensitivity of PEE.
Based on former research results of DDT[1][2], we can find out that the different average size of particles of powdered
explosives and different charging density are important factors to DDT occurrence. In this paper, the particle size, Al
content and charging density are discussed and the effecting factors of DDT are researched by experimental and
theory analysis.

1. EXPERIMENT

1.1. Experimental method

Firstly, DDT sensitivity experiment is implemented with
different particle size of PEE. The particle sizes influence
upon the sensitivity of DDT is analyzed. Secondly, DDT
sensitivity experiment is implemented with different Al
content. The Al content influence upon the sensitivity of
DDT is analyzed. Finally, the particle size and Al content
remain unchanged, the DDT sensitivity under different
charging densities is experimented, and the relationship
between different charging density and DDT sensitivity is
analyzed. Make use of the stress wave and combustion
theories, the effecting rules of charging density to DDT Figure 1: DDT tube before detonation.
sensitivity is analyzed. Through the experiment, the main
effect factors to the DDT sensitivity are found out.

1.2. Experimental object

The result of the experiment shows that the PEE without
metal powder (such as Al) which can increase the heat of
PEE can hardly insist on burning by itself[3]. By this way
DDT is unlikely to happen. Firstly, the DDT sensitivity was
analyzed with different size and different density of Al, then,
the PEE containing 8% Al (average size 68m). Was
analyzed the DDT sensitivity is tested through the change
of Al density. In order to avoid PEEs performance
transformation due to long time of nonuse, the sample was
prepared just before the experiment.

1.3. Experimental facilities

The experiment is conducted in a DDT tube. The
experimental facilities are composed of DDT seamless
steel tube, powder packed bed and ignition tool. The
Figure 2: Pieces after detonation.
DDT tube is made of 45# carbon steel tube, its outer
diameter is 45mm, inner diameter is 27mm, and the
length of charging bed is 450mm. The result of strength 2. RESULTS OF EXPERIMENT
calculation of tube shows that the strength of extension
of the tube wall is 0.21GPa[4] which ensures that it will 2.1. Influence of different
not be swelled to broken during the process. particle size to the sensitivity of DDT
Additionally, in order to ensure DDT, resistance wire is Under the same charging density of 0.78 g/cm3, DDT
adopted for ignition. Figures 1 and 2 show the DDT tube experiment was conducted with different particle size. A
before and after detonation. fitting curve of average particle size and inducted

1 This work was financially supported by the National Science Foundation of China (No.50174008)

Fragblast-8 Santiago Chile, May 2006 39

 that is to say, a complex relationship exists between the
particle size and DDT sensitivity.

2.2 Al contents effect factor to DDT sensitivity

By adding Al powder, the combustion velocity of PEE is
increased, which increase the amount of heat liberation of
certain mass as well as its DDT sensitivity. This point has
been proved by experiment. Table 1 illustrates DDT
experimental results with different Al content. We can see
that when the Al content increases, the combustion of PEE
become stronger i.e. the DDT sensitivity is increased.

2.3 Charging densitys influence to DDT sensitivity

Figure 3: Relationship between detonation time and
particle size.
detonation time was drawn out based on the experimental
result in figure 3.
From figure 3 we can see that when the average
particle size of PEE increases, the detonation time is
prolonged, i.e. the sensitivity of the PEE decreases.
From the research result, no uniform conclusion was
reached till now as to the influence of different particle
size to the sensitivity of DDT. Bernecher has find out
from the research of tetryl [5] that with same charging
density, when the particle size increases, the
sympathetic detonation distance become shorter i.e.
the sensitivity of DDT increases. Thivet and some
experts had found out from the research of explosives
such as RDX, HMX and HNS [6] that with the same
charging density, when the particle size increases, the
sympathetic detonation distance increases i.e. the
sensitivity of DDT decreases. With different research
objects, the experimental results are totally different,
A series of DDT experiments under strong constraint are
conducted with the Al content of 8% and charging density
is from 0.55 g/cm3 to 0.93g/cm3. Detonation time, which is
referred to in this paper, was counted from when the switch
is on, to the explosion of DDT tube. This meaning of
detonation time is used to explain the DDT sensitivity under
different Al charging density. The shorter the detonation
time, more sensitive is the PEE to DDT.
The experimental result is listed in Table 2. It should be
noted that the detonation time referred to in this paper is not
the same meaning in other documents[7][8]. We do this
because this kind of accounting method is more convenient
and the result is easy to compare in the experiment.
A fitting curve of Al charging density and detonation time
is made, shown as in figure 4. We can see from this graph
together with Table 2 that when the charging density is
small (less than 0.55 g/cm3), no DDT happens; when the
charging density increases, the detonation time decreases,
i.e. the DDT sensitivity goes up; when the charging density
is increased between 0.78 g/cm3 and 0.81g/cm3, the
detonation time is the smallest, i.e. at this time, the DDT
sensitivity is the largest; when the charging density
increases beyond this value, the DDT sensitivity decreases
together with the increase of charging density; when the
density is beyond 0.93 g/cm3, no DDT will happen.
This phenomenon can be explained by DDT mechanism
of multihole powder packed bed[9][10]. With a suitable air

Table 1: DDT experimental results with different Al content

Serial Al content constraint Go or Detonation Main phenomena

Number (%) condition fail time (s) during the experiment

No.1 4 No constraint No - Slow combustion

No.2 8 No constraint No - The combustion becomes relatively
stronger
No.4 4 Strong constraint No - DDT tube swelled and deformed the
PEE totally burned up
No.5 8 Strong constraint Yes 105 DDT tube is blasted into pieces
No.6 10 Strong constraint Yes 92 DDT tube is blasted into pieces
No.7 12 Strong constraint Yes 78 DDT tube is blasted into pieces

Table 2: Experimental result of DDT under different charging density

Serial No. Charging density Go or fail Detonation Main phenomena

(g/cm3) time (s) during the experiment

No.1 0.55 Fail - PEE did not wholly burned

No.2 0.68 Go 115 DDT tube is blasted into pieces
No.3 0.74 Go 95 DDT tube is blasted into pieces
No.4 0.82 Go 83 DDT tube is blasted into pieces
No.5 0.86 Go 85 DDT tube is blasted into pieces
No.6 0.87 Go 87 DDT tube is blasted into pieces
No.7 0.89 Go 102 DDT tube is blasted into pieces
No.8 0.93 No - PEE did not wholly burned

40 Santiago Chile, May 2006 Fragblast-8


mala
Figure 4: Relationship between detonation time and density.
permeability i.e. appropriate Al charging density, gas is
easy to permeate which increases the combustion area
and rate of gas liberation, makes for easier DDT
phenomenon. When the air permeates too much, i.e. too
small Al charging density, the powder in unit volume is too
few, which decreases the rate of gas liberation, as a result,
no sufficient air pressure can be produced. At the same
time, while the length of the flame area is prolonged, a great
energy loss in the area can exist, which makes against the
DDT phenomenon. A too big Al density can harm the air
permeability and air convection, which lead to low rate of
gas liberation, the air pressure in this area is hard to
increase and no DDT phenomenon is likely to happen.
3. ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION
From the results of this research, we can find that
because of the uneven heating of shock wave to the
explosives, a hot spot is formed and gradually a
detonation wave is developed. The hot-spot temperature
and mass burn-up rate directly determine the DDT
sensitivity of porous beds. Thereby, the DDT sensitivity
can be analyzed by theory by analyzing the relationship
between Al charging density and hot spot temperature
and mass burn-up rate.
The elastic-closing model of condensed explosives
initiation theory considers that the interaction between
shock wave and holes in the porous bed forms a hot
spot[1], certain relationship between Al charging density
and hot-spot temperature must exist. The closed holes in
the bed ensure that the internal energy transforms totally
into heat energy, and a hot spot is formed. Consider the
holes as hollow pellets, together with the reference of
elastic-plasticity theory, the heat energy amount generated
in unit volume during the process that the shock wave
compresses the porous medium can be obtained:
(1)
In this formula, P represents the pressure of multihole
bed, P0 is elastic limit pressure,
Y1n
3 1
Y represents the mediums yield strength,
0 is the initial porosity of bed
Fragblast-8 Santiago Chile, May 2006
Assume that all of the heat generated contributed to the
increasp of the temperature, the increment of the
temperature is:
(2)
In this formula, cv is the specific heat of the medium, 0 is
the initial Al charging density.
Assuming that the specific heat (cv) is a constant, we can
see from formula (2) that, the bigger the initial charging
density, the smaller the initial porosity. Under the same
pressure, the increase of the beds temperature become
smaller, i.e. the bed is more unlikely to detonate i.e. the
sensitivity of beds DDT is low.
This is the utilization of Hole Closing model to discuss the
influence of charging density to the sensitivity of DDT
based on hot-spot theory. The result obtained is just in
accordance with part of the experimental results which
analyzed the charging densitys influence to the DDT
sensitivity and verifies the right side of the fitting curve of
detonation time and charging density.
Besides hot-spot temperature, another very important
factor to the DDT sensitivity is mass burn-up rate which can
be expressed as:
(3)
In this formula, np is the number of explosive particles in
unit volume, rp is the combustion rate of multihole bed, sp is
the surface combustion area of a single particle.
Under a certain size of particle we can see from
formula (3) that the bigger the charging density, the
more explosive particles are in unit volume, the bigger
the mass burn-up rate; this increases the generation of
energy in unit volume and the barometric gradient, the
shock wave is more likely to be formed and the DDT
sensitivity of PEE is upgraded. This conclusion is just in
accordance with the left side of the fitting curve of
detonation time and charging density.
From the above analysis we can see that the increase
of charging density on the one hand dehot-spot
temperature, on the other hand, increases the mass
burn-up rate of bed. These contradictory results show
that an optimal charging density exists, under which the
DDT sensitivity is the biggest. This just explains the
reason that the detonation time and charging density
fitting curve is in U shape.
4. CONCLUSION
1. When the average particle size of PEE increases, the
DDT sensitivity decreases; when the Al content
increases, the DDT sensitivity increases.
2. When the Al charging density is less than 0.55 g/cm3 or
is more than 0.93g/cm3, no DDT phenomenon will
happen when the Al charging density is between 0.68
g/cm3 and 0.89 g/cm3, DDT phenomenon happens with
U shape fitting curve of detonation time and charging
density. The optimal charging density is between 0.78
g/cm3 and 0.84 g/cm3 when DDT phenomenon is most
likely to happen.
3. The relationship between Al charging density and DDT
sensitivity is analyzed in theory on the aspect from both
heat temperature and mass burn-up rate. The two
contradictory conclusions of the two theories have just
explained the U shape fitting curve of detonation time
and charging density.
41
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