DoD Explosives Safety Standards for Energetic Liquids Program

Abstract : The Department of Defense Explosives Safety Board (DDESB) is sponsoring the DoD Explosives Safety Standards for Energetic Liquids Program to study issues and develop revised safety standards concerning explosives equivalence, compatibility mixing, and quantity-distance (Q-D) criteria for liquid propellants and related energetic liquids. Energetic Liquid has been defined as - a liquid, slurry, or gel, consisting of or containing an explosive, oxidizer, fuel, or combination of the above, that may undergo, contribute to, or cause rapid exothermic decomposition (thermal explosion), deflagration, or detonation. Fundamental to the program are tasks to 1) review energetic liquid accident and realistic large-scale test data, and 2) to review other guidelines used in the commercial sector for application to energetic liquids. Data generated in these activities is forming the basis for proposed revisions to current standards. In addition, an interagency advisory board, the Liquid Propellants Working Group (LPWG), has been established to provide oversight in the assessment of available information with respect to historical and operational requirements, and ultimately to deliberate on the formulation of recommendations. This paper summarizes the rationale for the program and discusses technical information developed from the accident and test review with respect to hazards controlling quantity-distance criteria for energetic liquids. Furthermore, preliminary proposals on the hazard classification of energetic liquids and associated Q-D criteria are developed and presented.