In this paper, we experimentally studied the head-on collisions of detonation waves in a TATB (1,3,5-triamino-2,4,6-trinitrobenzene) based insensitive high explosive (IHE). A cuboid explosive charge was initiated from two opposite ends simultaneously, the breakout waveform of the detonation waves along the collision line and the line normal to the collision line was recorded by a high-speed streak camera. Results show that the corner-turning performance of TATB based explosives affects the waveform. Then, we measured the interface particle velocity histories of collision point by using LiF transparent window and photonic Doppler velocimetry (PDV). A longer run distance of detonation wave results in a higher particle velocity. Additionally, the incident detonation pressure was calculated on the basis of impedance matching equation. Compared with the explosive’s Chapman―Jouguet (CJ) detonation pressure, it is inferred that the detonation waves are not fully built up in our experimental conditions.
head-on collision, detonation waves, high insensitive explosive, detonation pressure