Effects of aluminum content on the energy output characteristics of CL-20-based aluminized explosives in a closed vessel

In this paper, a series of experiments were performed to study the energy output characteristics of CL-20-based aluminized explosives in an explosion vessel. The influences of different aluminum mass contents on the shock wave pressure and the explosion power were systematically investigated. The results showed that the peak overpressure and the positive impulse of the initial shock wave decreased with the aluminum content increased from 10 to 30%. On the contrary, the quasi-static pressure increased. The deformation and damage degree of sealing steel plates of the explosion vessel decreased as the aluminum content increased. The analysis indicated that the maximum residual deflection of the steel plates mainly represented the energy of the initial shock wave. The explosion power of the CL-20-based aluminized explosives decreased with the increase in aluminum content, and this trend was more remarkable at a large charge mass. The contrast test with LiF showed that the energy released from the combustion of aluminum can improve the positive impulse of the initial shock wave and play a role in the deformation of steel plates.