Blast Waves and Fragment Velocities of Erythritol Tetranitrate
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Full Paper DOI: 10.1002/prep.201600073 Blast Waves and Fragment Velocities of Erythritol Tetranitrate Masahiro Tagawa,*[a] Reiko I. Hiyoshi,[a] Masaru Takeuchi,[a] and Kimiya Akita[a] Abstract: Erythritol tetranitrate (ETN) is a highly sensitive distances of 5 and 7 m (8.9 and 12.5 m kgÀ1/3, respectively), nitrate ester that has a molecular structure similar to nitro- as verified by the waveforms and high-speed camera glycerine and pentaerythritol tetranitrate (PETN). In this images. Previous TNT data for peak overpressure vs. scaled study, experiments detonating 175 g of ETN were repeated distance were used to calculate the TNT equivalents for the three times to measure blast waves 0.6 m above the experimental data, which revealed that ETN had a similar ground. TNT and PETN were also tested under the same value to PETN. The fragment velocities of steel cylinders conditions for comparison. The average peak overpressure were measured, and that of ETN (1040 msÀ1) was higher of ETN was about 30 kPa at 3 m from the explosion center than that of TNT (957 m sÀ1) and lower than that of PETN (5.4 mkgÀ1/3 scaled distance), which was much higher than (1260 msÀ1). The Gurney constant for each explosive was that of TNT (about 22 kPa) and similar to PETN. The effects obtained by using the initial fragment velocities. of the reflected wave from the ground appeared at greater Keywords: Erythritol tetranitrate · TNT equivalent · Mach reflection · Metal fragments · Gurney constant 1 Introduction Erythritol tetranitrate (ETN) (Figure 1) is a simple nitrate In the presented study, several hundred grams of ETN ester that was first prepared in 1949 by Stenhouse [1], al- was prepared and explosion experiments were conducted. though it has not been investigated as an explosive until Blast parameters, such as peak overpressure and impulse, recently. There is increasing concern that ETN will become from ETN were measured and compared with those of TNT a common home-made explosive (HME) owing to its rela- and PETN. To date, a huge amount of data has been pub- tively easy synthesis and the increased availability of eryth- lished about TNT on the relationships between peak over- ritol, the starting material for ETN [2–4]. ETN is more sensi- pressure and scaled distance, and the scaled impulse and tive than pentaerythritol tetranitrate (PETN), but less sensi- scaled distance. These correlations were summarized in the tive than nitroglycerin [5,6]. The high sensitivity of ETN peak overpressure/scaled impulse vs. scaled distance means that it must be handled with the utmost care curves, referred to as the standard curves [9–13]. These [2,6,7]. The crystal structure, physical and chemical proper- standard curves for TNT differ from each other owing to ties of ETN have been reported recently, and its similarity the different experimental conditions, such as whether the to PETN was highlighted [2,6,8], although they have differ- explosions were measured in air, or on or above the ent melting points and oxygen balances [5]. ground. The standard curves for the explosion in air con- Recently, Manner et al. reported the detonation velocity sisted of only the incident wave, whereas the curves for on and critical diameter of ETN, suggesting that its high explo- or above the ground include the effect of the reflected sive performance is similar to PETN [8]. However, the explo- wave from the ground. We performed experiments 0.6 m sion properties of ETN have not been thoroughly investi- above the ground at the height our former data were mea- gated. The pressure of blast waves and fragment velocities sured [13]. We also compared the peak overpressures and generated by ETN, especially for large charges, are not scaled distances with standard curves reported by Baker known. [9], and reported as the MITI87 [12] and NRIPS09 [13] curves. In addition, the fragment velocities of steel cylinders [a] M. Tagawa, R. I. Hiyoshi, M. Takeuchi, K. Akita Explosion Investigation Section Second Department of Forensic Science National Research Institute of Police Science 6-3-1 Kashiwanoha, Kashiwa, Chiba, Japan Figure 1. Molecule of erythritol tetranitrate. *e-mail: [email protected] DOI: 10.1002/prep.201600073 2016 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim &1& These are not the final page numbers! ÞÞ Full Paper M. Tagawa, R. I. Hiyoshi, M. Takeuchi, K. Akita filled with TNT, ETN, and PETN were measured. Gurney con- and 288.15 K, as described by Matsunaga et al. [17,18]. The stants of these explosives were calculated by using the ini- best fitting exponential curve for the overpressure was tial fragment velocity [14,15]. plotted to determine the peak overpressure values, as re- ported by Arai et al. [13]. The MITI87 standard curve was obtained by TNT explosions at a scaled distance from 1.4 to 2 Experimental Section 21.5 mkgÀ1/3, and with scaled height of 0.18 mkgÀ1/3.The NRIPS09 standard curve was obtained by TNT explosions at 2.1 Preparation of Explosives a scaled distance from 1.4 to 31 mkgÀ1/3, and a scaled The explosives used in this study are summarized in height of 0.22 to 0.70 mkgÀ1/3. The MITI87 standard curve Table 1. TNT was purchased from Chugoku Kayaku Co., Ltd. was expressed as polynomial functions of the scaled dis- and PETN from Kayaku Japan Co., Ltd. TNT were prepared tance in any range, and it was used to estimate TNT equiva- by passing crystalline TNT through a 1.2 mm sieve. ETN was lents in this study. In addition, the ratio of the peak over- synthesized according to the mixed acid method reported pressure against the MITI87 curve (Pexp/PMITI87), and the ratio by Oxley et al. [5] and recrystallized according to the litera- of the scaled impulse against the MITI87 curve (Iexp/IMITI87) ture [6]. ETN was identified by GC/MS by comparing the re- were also calculated. The ratios were obtained by using ex- tention time and mass spectroscopic data with reference perimental data (Pexp or Iexp) and values derived from MITI87 standards (AccuStandard Inc.). ETN was kept wet until it functions at the corresponding scaled distance (PMITI87 or was used because dry ETN is very sensitive. IMITI87) and averaging. Because the scaled distances were from 5.33 to 13.2 m kgÀ1/3 in this study, MITI87 functions with a range of 4.30<Z<6.81, 6.81<Z<10.80, and 2.2 Blast Wave Measurement 10.80<Z<17.11 were used, where Z is the scaled distance. Blast wave measurements were repeated three times with ETN (175 g). The same measurements were done with TNT 2.4 Visualization of Shock Front by using High-speed and PETN separately, although the PETN amount used was Camera Images 150 g instead of 175 g for one measurement. Composition C-4 (2 g) was used as a booster for TNT (Table 1). Explosives High-speed camera images of the explosions were record- were loaded into a paper tube (diameter: 68 mm) and ed at 22,002 frames per second (fps) in the blast wave ex- placed on top of timbers at a height of 0.6 m. A No. 6 elec- periments by Phantom V2010 (Vision Research Inc.). The tric detonator (Kayaku Japan Co., Ltd) was placed on the distance from the explosion center to the camera was top of the explosive charge. The pressure values of the about 50 m. The experiment was performed with 175 g of blast wave were measured with pressure sensors (137A23, TNT without pressure sensors. To help visualize the shock PCB Piezotoronics Inc.) placed 3, 5, and 7 m from the explo- front, a checked cloth was placed behind the explosion sion center and 0.6 m above the ground, which was the site. Camera images were edited to clarify the shock front same height as the explosive charges. Two sensors were according to Kudo et al. and Leete et al. [19,20] by using used at each distance. Blast pressure data were recorded software (Photoshop Elements 10, Adobe). The differences by oscilloscopes at a frequency of 500 MHz, as mentioned between two adjacent frames were subtracted, and the in Ref. [16]. gamma values and white balances were adjusted. The dis- tance in the images was calculated by software (Pixel Runner, TellusImage, Co., Ltd.). 2.3 Obtaining Blast Wave Parameters and Comparing with Previous Data 2.5 Fragment Velocity Measurement The peak overpressure and the positive phase impulse were obtained by applying Sachs’ scaling law and convert- Seamless steel pipe was used as a cylindrical container ed into the values for 0 m above sea level of 101.325 kPa (inner diameter: 54.1 mm; thickness: 3.2 mm; height: Table 1. Explosives and casings used in this study.a) Experiment TNT ETN PETN Blast wave Three replicates of 175 g Three replicates of 175 g, Two replicates of 175 g and one measurement (2 g Composition C-4), 10.83 gcmÀ3 10.73 gcmÀ3 replicate of 150 g, 1 0.87 gcmÀ3 Fragment velocity C=99 g, M=229 g, C/M=0.43, C=81 g, M=229 g, C/M=0.35, C=101 g, M=229 g, C/M=0.44, measurement 1=0.86 gcmÀ3 1=0.71 g/cm3 1=0.88 gcmÀ3 C=94 g, M=228 g, C/M=0.41, C=84 g, M=230 g, C/M=0.37, C=103 g, M=227 g, C/M=0.45, 1=0.81 gcmÀ3 1=0.73 gcmÀ3 1=0.89 gcmÀ3 a) All explosives were in powder form, and 1 is the loaded density of the explosive.