An exploration of anomalous electrical noise in shocked cyclotrimethylenetrinitramine (RDX)-based explosives

• Published in: Journal of applied physics Vol. 135; no. 16
• Main Authors: Burns, M. J., Chidester, B. A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 28.04.2024
• ISSN: 0021-8979; 1089-7550
• DOI: 10.1063/5.0191271

Gas gun shock experiments on cyclotrimethylenetrinitramine (RDX)-based explosive compositions that employ embedded gauge particle velocity tracers have noted a significant amount of electrical noise when compared to other explosive formulations. This paper reexamines previously published embedded gauge data on Cyclotols (60–80 wt. % RDX) to quantify the electromagnetic behavior of these materials. The primary observation is a fourfold increase in the electrical noise when Cyclotols are shocked above 4.22 ± 0.08 GPa. Electromagnetic gauge noise is also observed within particle velocity traces in reactive growth and off-Hugoniot shocks, although at higher pressures than the direct shock case, suggesting a temperature- or kinetically dependent transition. In all cases, the electrical noise disappears upon detonation. By comparing with the static high-pressure phase diagram of RDX, we interpret this change in electromagnetic behavior to be a change in the RDX crystal structure to a piezoelectric phase, although it is uncertain whether the γ or ε phase is responsible for the observed behavior.