Effect of laser wavelengths on initiation threshold of energetic materials

In order to understand the effect of laser wavelengths on initiation threshold, reduce the laser initiation energy of energetic materials, and improve miniaturization design of excitation source of laser initiation, dissociation spectral and initiation threshold of pentaerythritol tetranitrate(PTEN) under wavelength 1 064 nm and 532 nm laser were tested by time-of-flight mass spectrometer and bruccton up and down method, and effect of laser wavelengths on initiation mechanism was analysed. Results show that laser initiation of energetic materials has selectivity for wavelengths, and every kind of energetic material possess some characteristic absorption wavelengths which are beneficial to laser initiation. There are different dissociation mechanisms for different laser wavelengths(1 064 nm and 532 nm). Compared with 532 nm laser, 1 064 nm laser, which close to characteristic absorption of PETN, can accelerate dissociation of PETN, and decrease 50 percent firing energy by 14 percent. Therefore, using characteristic absorption wavelengths of energetic materials as excitation source of laser initiation, can effectively reduce initiation threshold of energetic materials.