Material Characterization of Chemical and Biological Agents

Hydrocodes, CFD and aerosolization codes are routinely used to model the response of chemical and biological agents subjected to weapons attack. The key processes of interest are the fragment impact on the storage container, agent expulsion upon container failure, agent dispersion in bunkers and venting from the bunker. Accurate material property data and models, that are required to generate high fidelity predictions with hydrocodes, are currently not available for agents and simulants of interest to the Air Force. Here, we propose to measure these properties using fast measurement techniques so that the material characterization is completed before significant changes in bacterial viability occur. Examples of measurement techniques include shock tube measurements for material EOS and shock response, Differential Scanning Calorimetry for heat capacity and vapor pressure, viscometers for dynamic viscosity, and capillarity for surface tension. The properties will be measured as functions of temperature, concentrations, pressure and strain rate. The key findings will be encapsulated into algorithms that in turn will be combined into a toolkit. This toolkit interfaces with the hydrocodes, CFD and aerosolization codes of interest to the Air Force and provides them with necessary properties data.