Effects of Explosions on Materials

The use of explosives to generate ultrahigh pressures and thereby modify the structure and properties of condensed matter began in the 1950s and has since then become an important area of science. This book discusses the physical principles and experimental techniques of shock compression as applied to problems of inorganic chemistry and materials science. It begins with the fundamental physics of shock waves, the dynamic compressibility of solids, and physical and chemical transformations that may be produced by a shock. The second chapter turns to the experimental conditions for measurements and the preparation of ampoules. Subsequent chapters discuss: microstructural changes, such as fragmentation, shock hardening, and shock compaction; phase transformations in graphite, oxides, metals, and other materials; and chemical transformations, including mass transfer, decomposition, and diamond synthesis.