Effects of Al/O on pressure properties of confined explosion from aluminized explosives

Pressure histories were tested in a 500-L chamber to identify the pressure load in confined explosion from aluminized explosives. Different aluminized explosives with Al/O, ranging from 0.25 to 1.23, were used. The recorded pressure curves could express the reflection of initial shock wave and the after burning combustion of aluminum. As there is no objective way to gain quasi-static pressure (PQS), method of multipoint averaging was used in smoothing the original pressure curves to gain the PQS. The PQS, rising time of pressure (tQS) which stands for the duration of the initial reflected shock wave, and attenuation coefficient (ω) which stands for the supportive effects of the combustion of aluminum to the PQS are used to characterize the pressure load in the confined explosion from aluminized explosives. The research results showed that the Al/O significantly affected the three characteristic quantities. With the increase of Al/O, the PQS increased at first and decreased later, gaining maximum at Al/O = 0.99; the tQS sustained growth and the ω decreased at first and increased later, gaining minimum at Al/O = 0.99.