Experimental studies on chemical reaction of MESMs

Shock-induced chemical reaction (SICR) takes a very important role in multifunctional energetic structural materials (MESMs). In order to investigate the chemical energy release behaviors of MESMs, typical experiments are introduced in this chapter. The most widely used differential thermal analysis and differential scanning calorimetry analysis are first introduced, which refers to a slowly heating process. Flyer plate impact experiments, a traditional way to measure the shock Hugoniot relationship of materials, are introduced to investigate the influence of chemical reaction on shock parameters. Furthermore, the two-step impact initiation experiments referring to higher impact velocities are proposed to study the SICR characteristics of MESMs. The impact initiation and reaction process, main parameters in experiment results, and typical effects on SICR behavior of MESMs are analyzed. Finally, three typical experimental methods, namely, Taylor impact tests, split-Hopkinson pressure bar experiments, and drop weight experiments, are also proposed to investigate initiation characteristics of MESMs, which are usually used to measure dynamic properties of materials.