Effect of metal dust fuel at a low concentration on explosive/air explosion characteristics

The impact of aluminum powder on the explosive characteristics of solid-liquid mixed explosives under low fuel concentration conditions was studied using a 20 L spherical explosion container. In particular, measurements and analyses of an aluminum powder/ hexogen (RDX) powder/mist nitromethane–air mixture were studied in terms of explosion pressure, maximum pressure rise rate, combustion duration and flammability mass concentration low limits for different aluminum powder mass fractions. As the aluminum powder mass fraction increases for fuel concentrations at 300 g m⁻³, due to the increase in the concentration of aluminum powder with high combustion heat. The interaction between components leads to the maximum pressure increase rate first increases and then decreases, and the combustion duration first decreases and then increases. The change in the combustion duration is the complete opposite of the maximum pressure rise rate. At the same time, as the mass fraction of aluminum powder increases, the flammability mass concentration limit continues to decrease.