Hydroxyl‐terminated polybutadiene (HTPB) based sheet explosives incorporating insensitive 1,3,5‐triamino‐2,4,6‐trinitrobenzene (TATB) as a part replacement of cyclotrimethylene trinitramine (RDX) have been prepared during this work. The effect of incorporation of TATB on physical, thermal, and sensitivity behavior as well as initiation by small and high caliber shaped charges has been determined. Composition containing 85% dioctyl phthalate (DOP) coated RDX and 15% HTPB binder was taken as control. The incorporation of 10–20% TATB at the cost of RDX led to a remarkable increase in density (1.43→1.49 g cm−3) and tensile strength (10→15 kg cm−2) compared to the control composition RDX/HTPB(85/15). RDX/TATB/HTPB based compositions were found less vulnerable to shock stimuli. Shock sensitivity was found to be of the order of 20.0–29.2 GPa as against 18.0 GPa for control composition whereas their energetics in terms of velocity of detonation (VOD) were altered marginally. Differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) and thermogravimetry (TG) studies brought out that compositions undergo major decomposition in the temperature region of 170–240 °C.

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Nitrotriazolone incorporated sheet explosives were prepared and evaluated with respect to their explosive characteristics as well as mechanical and thermal behavior. 1,3,5-Trinitro-1,3,5-triaza-cyclohexane (RDX)/Estane (85:15) composition (density, 1:23 g=cm 3 and tensile strength, 0.5 MPa) was taken as reference and the effect of replacement of RDX by nitrotriazolone to the extent of 5-25% was studied. Inclusion of nitrotriazolone led to a remarkable increase in density (1:23 ! 1:41 g=cm 3 ) and mechanical properties (tensile strength: 0:46 ! 1:08 MPa). The major finding was increase in velocity of detonation by about an average 700 m=s over the reference composition. Velocity of detonation realized ranged from 6800 to 6900 m=s for RDX/nitrotriazolone/ Estane compositions. As regards sensitivity, nitrotriazolone-based compositions were relatively less vulnerable to impact and friction stimuli. Shock sensitivity of RDX/nitrotriazolone/Estane composition was also found to be of the order of 98-110 kbar as against 77 kbar for reference. The armor protection capability of nitrotriazolone-based composition against shaped charge was found to be at par with the corresponding RDX-based sheet explosive. Thermal studies revealed that nitrotriazolone and RDX incorporated sheet explosives with Estane binder decomposed as a unified composite, despite their widely differing decomposition/ignition temperatures.

The shock sensitivity of a typical sheet explosive RDX‐WAX (90:10) has been experimentally determined with gap test arrangement by measuring free surface velocity in different thicknesses of the barrier and shock and particle velocity of non‐reactive shock wave in the sheet explosive with Pin Oscillography Technique. It has been found that a shock wave, generated by a point‐initiated cylindrical explosive in contact with an aluminium barrier of diameter nearly twice the diameter of the charge, attenuates exponentially and a 6.5 mm thick sheet explosive, of density 1.28 g/cm3 and velocity of detonation 6.43 mm/μs, detonates with 50% probability by a shock wave of 11 kbar pressure in the explosive.