A study on detonation characteristics of pressed NTO

Abstract NTO is an explosive of current interest. It has been evaluated as an insensitive component to replace RDX in some explosive and propellant compositions. In our work, efforts were made to determine NTO detonation pressure and JWL equation of state of NTO detonation products. With this end in view, pressed NTO cylinders were studied experimentally by measuring the detonation velocity versus the diameter, by performing the cylinder expansion test and a water test using a SCANDIFLASH X-ray set. The results of measurements and numerical modelling of the process of copper tube expansion as well as the process of detonation of NTO charges inside a cylindrical layer of water were the basis for determining the detonation pressure and the JWL constants.