Use of 14 MeV neutrons in analysis of explosive class materials

Samples of explosive class materials were analyzed by 14 MeV neutron activation technique to estimate concentrations of oxygen, nitrogen, aluminium and chlorine. For aluminized explosives, test of stability against temperature was carried out by heating samples at 75 °C and loss of nitrogen was studied by measuring the ratio of aluminium to nitrogen in the sample. Loss of oxygen and nitrogen in a triple base propellant heated at 71.6 °C, was also estimated by measuring residual oxygen and nitrogen in the heated samples. This technique is convenient to adopt in the laboratory and useful to decide quickly the suitability of explosive class materials for practical applications.