Abstract

Explosive materials are unique in their requirements for formulation and characterisation, needing to balance explosive performance, safety and mechanical properties. Other factors such as cost, ease of processing, legislation and environmental impacts must also be considered. Standard materials science techniques play a significant role in material and process down-selection, and valuable lessons can be learnt from the pharmaceutical industry in terms of powder handling and processing. Further ‘specialist tests’ are required to address explosive-specific requirements; some at the cutting edge of science, others would not be unfamiliar to early gunpowder pioneers. In this talk the challenges associated with explosive materials development will be discussed and the role a materials scientist can play in addressing these challenges will be explored.