Optical Initiation of Explosives

Currently, initiation of primary explosives such as lead azide is achieved by a hot wire ignition system. In order to decrease the fuze size, eliminate complexity of the fuze box and reduce the ignition time, there has been a need to replace the hot wireignition system by laser ignition.Because lead azide is white in color, it scatters most of the laser radiation and requires very high powered laser systemswhich are heavy and expensive. Efforts by Sandia National Lab to blacken the lead azide by mixing it with carbon black decreased therequired laser power somewhat but not enough.LEDs which are light weight and inexpensive, would be ideal for initiation. However, the laser power needed to initiate lead azide needs to be reduced substantially, to be able to take advantage of LEDs.The Principal investigator has used a doping technique to make lead azide intrinsically colored and initiated this doped lead azide with much less laser power, almost similar to LED. However, LEDs were never used.Here, Conducting Materials Corp. in collaboration with Dr. Jim Spicer and Dr. John Brupbacher of Johns Hopkins University intend to study the feasibility of initiating lead azide and also HMX using LEDs. The PI's expertise in doping techniques andexplosives, and JHU consultants' expertise in laser technology and atom infusion technique are a perfect combination to tackle this problem.Currently, initiation of primary explosives such as lead azide is achieved by a hot wire ignition system. In order to decrease the fuze size, eliminate complexity of the fuze box and reduce the ignition time, there has been a need to replace the hot wireignition system by laser ignition.Because lead azide is white in color, it scatters most of the laser radiation and requires very high powered laser systemswhich are heavy and expensive. Efforts by Sandia National Lab to blacken the lead azide by mixing it with carbon black decreased therequired laser power somewhat but not enough.LEDs which are light weight and inexpensive, would be ideal for initiation. However, the laser power needed to initiate lead azide needs to be reduced substantially, to be able to take advantage of LEDs.The Principal investigator has used a doping technique to make lead azide intrinsically colored and initiated this doped lead azide with much less laser power, almost similar to LED. However, LEDs were never used.Here, Conducting Materials Corp. in collaboration with Dr. Jim Spicer and Dr. John Brupbacher of Johns Hopkins University intend to study the feasibility of initiating lead azide and also HMX using LEDs. The PI's expertise in doping techniques andexplosives, and JHU consultants' expertise in laser technology and atom infusion technique are a perfect combination to tackle this problem. All federal government projects using hot wire ignition system will benefit significantly by use of CD type of diode lasers. These include all missiles and rockets. The concept could be used very successfully for all commercial explosives used in miningindustries.