Superdetonation is the consequence of thermally initiated chemical kinetics induced by shock heating of homogenous explosives such as liquids. Superdetonation has been studied most extensively in liquid nitromethane and the phenomenon typically exists for less than a microsecond. Conventional shaped charges use the detonation of precision machined plastic explosives with detonation velocities <9 km/s to achieve high velocity metal jets used for target penetration. Methods of increasing the explosive's detonation velocity to increase penetration of shaped charges, reducing the amount and sensitivity of the explosive, and decreasing the cost of high performance shaped charges, are needed in the art.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds