Reliable estimation of performance of explosives without considering their heat contents

In this paper, a new approach is introduced to calculate detonation pressure of large class of explosives based elemental composition and specific structural groups rather than using their heats of formation. It is shown here how the loading density, atomic composition and some structural parameters can be integrated into an empirical formula for predicting the detonation pressure of pure and explosive formulations over a wide range of loading densities. The results show good agreement with experimental values so that the deviations are within about experimental errors. The calculated values of new method are also compared with the computed results obtained by complex computer code using BKWR and BKWS equations of state. Predicted detonation pressures have root-mean-square (rms) deviation for new method, BKWR and BKWS equations of state are 6.5, 11.7 and 7.4 kbar, respectively.