Dynamic imaging of the temperature field within an energetic composite using phosphor thermography.

An improved understanding of energy localization ("hot spots") is needed to improve the safety and performance of explosives. We propose a technique to visualize and quantify the properties of a dynamic hot spot from within an energetic composite subjected to ultrasonic mechanical excitation. The composite is composed of an optically transparent binder and a countable number of octahydro 1,3,5,7-tetranitro-1,3,5,7-tetrazocine (HMX) crystals. The evolving temperature field is measured by observing the luminescence from embedded phosphor particles and subsequent application of the intensity ratio method. The spatial temperature precision is less than 2% of the measured absolute temperature in the temperature regime of interest (23°C-220°C). The temperature field is mapped from within an HMX-binder composite under periodic mechanical excitation.