Energetics Laboratory Facilities

These energetic materials laboratories are equipped with explosion proof hoods with blow out walls for added safety, that are certified for safe handling of primary as well as secondary high explosives. Modern instrumentation for thorough analysis and characterization of new energetic materials is available. Analytical techniques available on site include high field nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometry, Fourier transform infrared spectrometry, high performance liquid chromatography, gas chromatography coupled with mass spectroscopy, atomic absorption spectrometry and UV-visible spectrometry, scanning electron microscope/transmission electron microscope. Equipment for process development and scale-up of energetic materials is available including jacketed reactor vessels and programmable heating and cooling circulators. Analysis of thermal properties of new materials is carried out using differential scanning calorimetry and thermal gravimetric analysis. Computational facilities include various personal computers and workstations and software for advanced molecular modeling and prediction of energetic performance characteristics of new materials. Availability of these capabilities under one roof make these laboratories a premier site for the research, design, development and scale-up of new energetic materials for the next generation weapon systems.