Low/intermediate speed impact-induced ignition and damage of a novel high-energy solid propellant

The damage and ignition response of a novel propellant is investigated using a modified split Hopkinson pressure bar (SHPB). The mechanical response of the propellant exhibits strong strain rate dependency following a power law. The whole process from mechanical damage to onset of ignition, deflagration and potential deflagration to detonation transition (DDT) under different strain rates (1000–5000 s⁻¹) is captured via high-speed photography and digital image correlation (DIC). To clarify the onset and extent of the resulting reaction in terms of the mechanical damage caused by impact, meso-scale analysis is used to evaluate the propellant before and after dynamic impact loading. The ignition response under impact loading is mainly caused by shear flow, and ignition after multiple impacts due to the reflection of stress waves. Dense debris clouds produced by the first impact are observed in the case of a strain rate of 5000 s⁻¹ leading to DDT when the second impact initiated ignition.