Probit Analysis - a Promising Tool for Evaluation of Explosive's Sensitivity

The sensitivity of explosives to various initiating events, in probability of initiation-level of stimulus space, has a shape of sigmoidal curve. In standard sensitivity tests only one point on this curve is sought, most often the 50% initiation probability level. The usual (and most often used) method for its determination is the up-and-down method. The whole sensitivity curve can be obtained by conducting large number of trials at all levels or more effectively by probit analysis. The usage of probit analysis, improvement of the precision of the results and comparison with the results precision of the up-and-down method is demonstrated by the example of determination of sensitivity to friction.