Quality control of energetic materials
V.O.D and detonator delay measurement are central performance indicators for the quality control of explosives, propellants, detonating cords, detonators and pyrotechnics.
Why V.O.D is a quality control metric ?
V.O.D directly reflects formulation, density, particle size and the absence of defects in a finished explosive. A stable V.O.D measured across production batches confirms that the manufacturing process is in control. A drift signals a change in raw materials, mixing, sensitization or aging.
For end users, V.O.D. is the acceptance test that links a supplier’s specification to actual behaviour in the field. It complements the detonation pressure, brisance and energy measurements used in research.
Materials and what is typically checked
High explosives based on TNT, RDX or HMX: V.O.D versus density, diameter effect and critical diameter verification. Industrial bulk explosives such as ANFO, emulsions and watergels: in production V.O.D for batch acceptance, in hole V.O.D for field performance.
Detonating cords: actual core load propagation speed. Detonators: real delay versus nominal, batch tolerance and aging. Propellants and pyrotechnics: burning rates, ignition delay, and deflagration to detonation transitions where applicable.
Laboratory versus field quality control
In the laboratory, V.O.D is measured under controlled diameter, confinement and density. Instruments need precise timing and a reproducible setup. The Explomet Series is built for this context, with a precision of 0.01 microsecond and a self calibrating quartz time base.
In the field, the same physical measurement is performed in the blast hole. The Explomet 4 paired with the EasyProbe System or the DCS Duplex Cable System brings five V.O.D measurements per blast, in dry or wet holes. For detonator delay control, the Detomet 4 returns the delay of one to five detonators per shot.
For large campaigns, the High Capacity Systems extend the platform to 20, 24 or 30 channels.
European standards requirements
All our Explomet™ meets European standards for measuring the velocity of detonation: EN 13631-14:2003 - Explosives for civil uses - High explosives - Part 14: Determination of velocity of detonation Effective Date: 24-Mar-2020 Measuring equipment for the “start-stop-method”.