Dielectrometric Explosive Mixture Analyzer

To address the Army need for hazardous duty, explosion proof probes for process monitoring and quality control in explosives manufacturing, Physical Optics Corporation (POC) proposes to develop a new Dielectrometric Explosive Mixture Analyzer (DEMA) system. This proposed device is based on Time-Domain Dielectric Spectrometry principles. The DEMA innovations will enable the device to accurately and safely detect in real time the compositional properties of various classes of heterogeneous formulations used in modern explosive munitions production, including particle size, bulk viscosity, and water content, by applying a robust data collection and analysis methodology, in an inexpensive, easy-to-operate package. A novel approach to the extraction of composition-dependent information makes this technology insensitive to production environment noise, and provides the capability to monitor a wide range of dielectric materials. The miniscule energy required to operate the probe renders it suitable for use with the most sensitive of the Army’s explosive formulations. In Phase I, POC will demonstrate feasibility of the DEMA system by applying it to the measurement of inert mixtures approximating real-life formulations. In Phase II, POC will evaluate and optimize the design in Phase I, and develop and fabricate a functional production-deployable prototype for testing at the Army’s ARDEC facility.