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Abstract: Ammonium perchlorate(AP) and LiBH4 can form an oxidation‐fuel energetic system, which provides a new development direction in designing novel mixed explosive formula. The microcalorimetry and self‐designed slow cook‐off setup were used to study thermal performance of AP/LiBH4 energetic powders and grains respectively. Experimental results show that heat release in microcalorimetry method for the mixed system at low temperature was due to the reaction between LiBH4 and residual water vapour. The oxidant gases from AP decomposition participate in the oxidation of LiBH4 at high temperature. The ignition temperature for the AP/LiBH4 grain was 270 °C and the explosion reactions were violent in slow cook‐off test. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The high energy density compound octahydro-1,3,5,7-tetranitro-1,3,5,7-tetrazocine (HMX) and the strong exothermic compound LiH represent an excellent principal explosive and an active fuel, respectively. Herein, the energetic characteristics of HMX-based explosives are explored by adding LiH as fuel additive. The detonation parameters of HMX-based explosives containing LiH were tested with free-field explosion experiments and compared with those of traditional TNT, HMX, and aluminized explosives. The results show that the explosives exhibit higher energy and present preferable explosion effect when LiH is added as an explosive ingredient. The improvement of impulse is more than 32.8 % at 2 m. The shock wave peak overpressure increases by almost 40 % at a distance of 3 m from detonation center specially for the explosive containing both LiH and Al additives. Elemental H and Li are expected to release tremendous energy to effectively improve the explosives instant damage power, but the detonation duration is shorter than that of Al-containing mixed explosives, which may limit the advantage over Al in the impulse. Li2CO3 powder is the solid product of HMX/LiH, which explains the LiH oxidation during the explosion. The exothermic processes in the formation are the reason for the increased energy of HMX/LiH explosives. These results can provide guidance to a potential energetic system formed by HMX and LiH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]