Manufacture and Materials Properties of Explosives

Course structure

The course is a balanced blend of interdisciplinary lectures, chemistry laboratory sessions and manufacturing sites visits and offers a comprehensive education of the chemistry and physics of explosive materials, their engineering, and their manufacturing processes.

What you will learn

On successful completion of this course you will be able to:

• Interpret the role of explosives and their formulations in the context as parts of an explosive train in a weapons system,
• Evaluate and compare the chemico-physical properties of explosives materials and their formulations,
• Explain how the manufacturing processes for explosives and their formulations affect their chemico-physical properties and ultimately their performance,
• Illustrate the environmental and legislative requirements of munitions manufacture with reference to the whole lifecycle.

Core content

Chemistry of explosive molecules and associated materials

• Basic chemistry of nitration,
• Synthesis examples of RDX, HMX, NC, NG, TNT, Lead Azide/Styphnate.
• Basic stability/compatibility (to be extended in testing module),
• Polymer chemistry.

Material science of explosive materials

• Basic hazard/performance properties,
• Crystal properties,
• Binder properties,
• Mechanical properties.

Engineering of the manufacture of explosives

• Filling process,
• Plant design, safety, storage,
• Quality control,
• Melt cast compositions,
• Polymer Bonded Explosives,
• Materials Modelling.

Manufacturing Health & Safety

• Toxicity & Health Effects,
• Environmental Awareness,
• Legislation.

Upgrade to a professional qualification

When taken as a Short Course for Credit, 10 credit points can be put towards the Explosives Ordnance Engineering MSc.

Find out more about short course credit points.

Who should attend

Students must have successfully completed the Introduction to Explosives Engineering course, or have relevant experience in order to take this as a Short Course for Credit.

There are no prerequisites if taken as a Standalone Short Course.

Speakers

Dr Licia Dossi (Course Director)

Dr Jeff Pons (Course Co-Director)

Mrs Sally Gaulter

Dr Lisa Humphreys

Dr Josh Wardrop

Dr Ian Wilson

Dr Matthew Andrews (DE&S)

Dr James Padfield (RWM Italia)

Mr Don Fossey (The Falcon Project Ltd)

Prof Ruth Doherty (Energetics Technology Centre, MD, USA)

Dr Peter Gould (QinetiQ)

Professor Douglas Cleaver (Sheffield Hallam University)

Location and travel

Cranfield Defence and Security (CDS) is a Cranfield School based at the Ministry of Defence establishment on the Oxfordshire/Wiltshire borders.

Shrivenham itself lies in the picturesque Vale of the White Horse, close to the M4 motorway which links London and South Wales. It is 7 miles from Swindon, the nearest town, which lies off the M4 at the hub of Britain’s motorway network.

Bath, Cheltenham, Bristol and Oxford are all within an hour’s drive and London less than two hours away by car.

All visitors must be pre-booked in at reception by the person they are visiting on the campus.

For further location and travel details