Research

Explosive Components Facility

The 98,000 square foot Explosive Components Facility (ECF) is a state-of-the-art facility that provides a full-range of chemical, material, and performance analysis capabilities for energetic materials and explosive components:

  • advanced design of energetic devices and subsystems
  • optical ordnance
  • energetic materials
  • testing of explosives and explosive components and subsystems
  • advanced explosives diagnostics
  • reliability analyses
  • failure modes evaluation
  • safety evaluation

The ECF has the full-range of capabilities necessary to support the understanding of energetic materials and components:

Optical and Semiconductor Bridge (SCB) Initiation Laboratories

Characterization Laboratories

  • thermal properties
  • gas analyses
  • powder characterization
  • microscopy
  • spectroscopy
  • aging and compatibility

Performance Test Facilities

  • firing pads (to 1 kg)
  • instrumentation (temperature, pressure strain, displacement)
  • high-speed camera systems
  • optical interferometry (VISAR)
  • high-speed data acquisition systems

Real-time Spectroscopy Laboratory

Single-Stage Light-Gas Gun Facility

DIAGNOSTIC CAPABILITIES:

  • piezoelectric gauges
  • VISAR (Velocity Interferometer System for Any Reflector)
  • flash x-ray
  • electrostatic discharge tester (ESD)
  • electro-thermal response tester (ETR)

Availability

This facility provides users with a one-stop-contact to Sandia resources. Our staff, with a full-range of degree disciplines and many years of experience, works directly with the user to define customer requirements and develop a plan that leads to solutions. To make arrangements to use the Explosive Components Facility, contact the user liaison.