Initiation of detonation in liquid explosive mixtures by an incomplete electric spark discharge

An experimental study is conducted of the detonation initiation by means of an electric spark in solutions of a number of nitrocompounds in high-concentration nitric acid. When the duration of the voltage pulse applied to the spark discharger is limited, the process of detonation initiation by incomplete discharge (leader initiation) is registered. The basic laws of leader initiation are established. The results of experiments confirm the hypothesis which states that the initial heating-up is determined by the local electric field strength near the leader head. The indicated mechanism may be valid for the case of initiation by an electric spark of liquid explosive mixtures with electrolytic and dielectric properties when the critical diameter of the mixture is comparable with the leader cross section.