‘Reaction Time’ of Cast Trinitrotoluene as a Function of the Rate of Charge Cooling

Abstract

FOR charge diameters greater than 1 in., the detonation velocity of ‘confined’ T.N.T., that is, T.N.T. cast in metal tubes, increases only very slightly with increasing charge diameter, indicating a very short reaction-time (∼ 10⁻⁸ sec.) for the primary decomposition process of this explosive. The experimental results already reported¹ suggested that this small change might be associated with the existence of the ‘surface chilled’ layer which would be present in all heavily confined charges and would vary little in character with changes in charge diameter. It was decided, therefore, to re-investigate the velocity–charge diameter relationship for T.N.T. under conditions of charge cooling such that very different degrees of surface chilling were operative during the initial solidification phase.