Progress with validation tests for the BAM-Fallhammer

Testing of the impact sensitivity of explosives is one of the essential characterisation steps in a safety study. Threshold levels have been agreed from experience for certain processing steps and in relation to handling instructions. However, how reliable is the information, that an explosive has an impact sensitivity of X Joule? This will partly depend on the judgement of the test operator, but also on the statistical method, and on the energetic parameters of the test apparatus. This work focuses on the mechanical performance of the BAM-Fallhammer and how much of the initially available potential energy is transferred to the sample. The differences to the nominal value can be quite large under some conditions. Therefore the energy loss has to be characterised and should possibly be taken into account. In addition an attempt is made, to make results more comparable when the amount of energy loss has been determined by a method shown in the presentation.