Detonator using Nickel Hydrazine Nitrate as Primary Explosive

Abstract

Nickel hydrazine nitrate is an energetic coordination compound having explosive
properties in between that of primary and secondary. This compound was used to develop a new
type of detonator by replacing the sensitive primary explosive, lead azide in conventional
detonators and keeping RDX (cyclotrimethylenetrinitramine) as the output secondary explosive.
The detonator consists of three regions, viz., initiation, deflagration-to-detonation transition
(DDT), and output. The initiation and the electrical rating of 1A/1W no-fire were achieved using
a suitable squib. The DDT and the output were taken care of, by pressing requisite quantities
of Nickel hydrazine nitrate and RDX, respectively at required densities in a stainless steel stem
channel. The detonator assembly involves crimping the squib and the stem channel in a stainless
steel housing and applying a suitable resin at the crimped-end for leak tightness. The output
was assessed from the dent depth on aluminium plate, volume expansion on lead block, and by
achieving veloctiy of detonation of 8200 m/s in mild detonating cords, containing 0.95 g/m of
RDX, which indicates full-order detonation. The detonators were tested at system level and
found to perform satisfactorily.