Energetics Science and Technology in China
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Energetics Science and Technology in China Energetics Science and Technology in China James M. Short Robert A. Kavetsky Michael G. Pecht Davinder K. Anand Center for Energetic Concepts Development Series University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland Library of Congress Control Number: 2010938181 The book contains information from authentic and highly regarded sources. Reprinted material is quoted and credit is given when appropriate. A wide variety of references are listed. Reasonable efforts have been made to publish reliable data and information, but the authors and the publisher cannot assume responsibility for the validity of all materials or for the consequences of their use. The views of this book are solely the views of the authors. No opinions, statements of fact, or conclusions contained in this document can be properly attributed to the Department of Defense, the Office of Naval Research, or its contracting agencies. Neither this book nor any part may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, microfilming, and recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system, without prior permission in writing from CECD. CECD consent does not extend to copying for general distribution, for promotion, for creating new works, or for resale. Specific permission must be obtained in writing from CECD for such copying. Direct all inquiries to: CECD 2140 Glenn L. Martin Hall University of Maryland College Park, MD 20742 Ph.: (301) 405-5205 http://www.cecd.umd.edu 2010 CECD International Standard Book Number 978-0-9846274-0-0 Printed in Hong Kong Preface Two monthefore its use, the thermobaric warhead u When we think of energetics, inevitably we think of explosives, propellants, firecrackers, gunpowder, and then China, since it is there that gunpowder was first invented. It is therefore appropriate that any study of the science of energetics begin with an examination of the developments of energetics in China. Hence this book was written as part of a planned series of six volumes on Energetics Science and Technology. Each volume covers a different region of the world. The motivation for this series is to provide a comprehensive collection of information on this critical technology and identify the energetic materials research being conducted across the globe. Energetic materials typically provide a great deal of energy in various forms, all of which are in demand all over the world, as their uses are nearly unlimited. Energetics are used in mining and road building, for rocket fuel, aircraft ejection seats, and pyrotechnics among others. The category of "energetic materials" covers a variety of substances, including explosives, propellants, and pyrotechnics. The physical form of energetic materials can be solid, liquid, powder, or gel. This book is exclusively focused on energetic materials research in China and is prepared for readers interested in an introduction to the field of energetic materials, as well as for researchers interested in past and current work being conducted in energetic materials in China. Of particular note for this book is a section on the history of energetics in China, a country which can arguably claim to be the home of energetics. In China, much of the information regarding energetic materials can be found in academic journals. The main journal pertinent to this field is the Chinese Journal of Energetic Materials, a bimonthly academic collection dating back to 1993, with articles in English first appearing in 2009. Other more specific journals containing information on energetic materials in China include the Chinese Journal of Explosives & Propellants, Explosive Materials, Initiators & Pyrotechnics, and Journal vi Preface of Projectiles, Rockets, Missiles & Guidance. These journals delve into subcategories of energetic materials and provide articles containing new research and recent advances on these specific materials. The work presented here addresses the technological progress made in China regarding the energetic materials community and is split into seven chapters. Each chapter includes several references whose abstracts are available on our website www.cecd.umd.edu. To illustrate the style and content of the abstracts to be found on the website, Chapter 4 provides the abstracts used in the development of the chapter. This book was also written to provide an impetus for the authors and readers to reach out and connect directly with academics working in energetics in China. A special workshop titled “Workshop on Energetics –Past and Present” under the sponsorship of The Center for Energetic Concepts Development at the University of Maryland, College Park, USA and the City University of Hong Kong has been conducted in Hong Kong in December 2010. We hope that other such events will occur as a result of this book. It is our hope that this book will give the reader a comprehensive view of energetic materials developments in China, the birthplace of energetics. We are most appreciative of those that have helped in the preparation of this volume. We acknowledge Dr. John Fisher for discussions on energetics research and future directions. Thanks to Jason Larson of EHS Inc. for the partial support of the second edition under Contract N00178-05-D-4309 FG 02. Dr. Xin Song, Hester Cheng, and Jefferson Pecht performed some of the background research and helped in the translations. Rashmi Pujar and Gautham Bharadwaj assembled the information for the website. Z. Yong and X. Mian contributed to the history of energetics in Chapter 1 and 2. S. Ouyang contributed material for Chapter 2. Ray Lemar reviewed and edited several chapters for content and style. Finally thanks to Ania Picard and Angie Wong for editing, formatting, and preparation of the final product. The Authors Executive Summary In 1972 the American President Richard Nixon visited China. It was a trip that changed the future history of the world. President Nixon said, at the end of his visit as the official Communiqué was released to the public, that "this was the week that changed the world, as what we have said in that Communiqué is not nearly as important as what we will do in the years ahead to build a bridge across 16,000 miles and 22 years of hostilities, which have divided us in the past. And what we have said today is that we shall build that bridge." In the spirit of building the bridge, a member of the organizing committee of the 7th Symposium (International) on Detonation, Dr. James Short, wrote a letter to the Chinese Embassy in America in 1980 encouraging Chinese participation in the 1981 Symposium. Professor Ding Jing of the Beijing Institute of Technology led a delegation of four Chinese scientists to the 1981 Symposium. That invitation and participation signaled that change was coming to energetics science and technology in China. Now, three decades later, the University of Maryland’s Center for Energetic Concepts Development celebrates 30 years of Chinese and American interactions in the field of energetics. With this book, we take note of China’s historical and current leadership and innovations in energetics science and technology. A visit to the website of the Chinese Embassy in Washington, DC, offers a hint as to the importance of energetics in the history of China and the history of the world. At the embassy website is a link to a speech (http://www.china-embassy.org/eng/zmgx/zysj/jzxfm/t36252.htm) given by President Jiang Zemin at Harvard University, where he mentions China’s four great inventions that have had profound impact on the entire world—paper making, concept of the printed word, the navigational compass, and gunpowder. Energetics science and technology began with gunpowder. viii Executive Summary During the Han Dynasty, in the year 142 CE (CE is the Common Era of the Gregorian calendar & BCE is Before the Common Era), Wei Boyang wrote about a mixture of three powders that when mixed would “fly and dance” violently. Having no additional facts, it can only be assumed the powders were saltpeter (potassium nitrate), sulfur and charcoal, the ingredients of gunpowder. Wei Boyang and others who came before him and after him were alchemists in search of medicines to make men immortal, or at least to prolong life and cure disease. During the Chin Dynasty, about 300 CE, Ge Hong wrote more. He wrote of mining sulfur from a yellow rock. He wrote of letting animal manure decay in the open air. A consequence is the formation of potassium nitrate crystals. The crystals are harvested by washing away with water the remainder of the aged manure. Charcoal was made then in the same way as today—by partially burning wood. Ge Hong mixed 15 parts of saltpeter with 3 parts of coal and 2 parts of sulfur. Then, he put a spark to the mixture so he could enjoy a fireworks show of light, heat, and noise. It was during the Tang Dynasty, about 700 CE, that people began to use gunpowder in purposeful ways. The Tang emperors used gunpowder for entertainment, what we might call fireworks today. In about 900 CE, the concept of fireworks used in a controlled manner as a weapon evolved. Pressing gunpowder into bamboo poles created the first rockets. The bamboo pole was a prototype of the modern gun. In 1044 CE (Northern Song Dynasty), the earliest known written gunpowder formulas appeared. It was written in the book Wujing Zongyao (Collection of the Most Important Military Techniques). Three formulas appeared. One was for a simple bomb. Another was for a bomb launched from a catapult. The third was for a smoke bomb, perhaps the first written example of chemical warfare. In addition to the three classic ingredients, common to all three formulas in the Wujing Zongyao are small amounts of hemp roots, bamboo roots, various oils, and wax.