Application of PVDF Pressure Gauge for Pressure Measurements of Non-ideal Explosives

Abstract

Manganin pressure gauge has been widely used for pressure measurements of shock wave in condensed matter and detonation in condensed explosive. However, recording time of manganin gauge is limited to a few microsecond. This short recording time is not long enough to measure detonation pressure of non-ideal explosive which has long reaction zone length. We developed pressure gauge composed of PVDF sensing element which has longer recording time compare with manganin pressure gauge. In this study, detonation pressure profile was measured by PVDF pressure gauge for non-ideal explosives consisted of a packed bed of aluminum particles of different size saturated with neat nitromethane. The results of pressure measurements by PVDF pressure gauge show the existence of the extended pressure peak behind leading shock wave, and revealed important pressure increase due to aluminum particle reaction when aluminum particle size is smaller than 14 micrometer. The result of this study showed that PVDF pressure gauge is very useful tool to measure detonation pressure of non-ideal explosives which have very long reaction zone length.