The relationship of Impact Sensitivity with Structure of Organic High Explosives. II. Polynitroaromatic explosives

Impact sensitivities of organic high explosives are primarily functions of the rates of the thermal decomposition processes taking place in the temperature regimes generated under the impact hammer. For classes of explosives with similar decomposition mechanisms, there appear to be statistically significant linear relationships (sensitivity/composition trends) between logarithmic 50% impact heights and values OB 100 , a measure of oxidant balance. In addition, it is shown that polynitroaromatic explosives containing a C‐H linkage alpha to the aromatic ring are more sensitive as a class than explosives lacking such a linkage. These results are consistent with the finding that products of thermal decomposition of TNT indicate a preferred site of inter‐ and intramolecular oxidative attack to be at the alpha C‐H linkage.