Quantitative analysis of damage in PBX 9501 subjected to a linear thermal gradient

We have conducted a series of experiments in which a cylinder of PBX 9501 is placed in a specially designed fixture with each end fixed at a different temperature. This arrangement sets up a thermal gradient in the explosive that is carefully controlled and maintained for a specified amount of time. This configuration has a number of advantages over thermally damaging separate pieces at a series of different temperatures, the principal one being that damage in this experiment is a continuous function of position. This makes analysis and distinction of regions easier and more straightforward. For the experiments reported in this paper, the explosive samples have been subjected to a series of different analysis techniques. We have used polarized light microscopy, physical adsorption, Raman spectroscopy, and small angle neutron and x-ray scattering in an attempt to characterize the particle morphology, porosity distribution, crack and void formation, and chemical state as a function of thermal treatment. While not all of the efforts were informative, the data clearly show trends and form a basis for understanding the effects of thermal damage on explosive behavior