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MineMan
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There is no good reason LA is king other than a stubborn industry that has tons left over from the 70s.
It’s about a dollar a gram… pretty cheap for world class primary.
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Hey Buddy
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Quote: Originally posted by MineMan  | There is no good reason LA is king other than a stubborn industry that has tons left over from the 70s.
It’s about a dollar a gram… pretty cheap for world class primary. |
The character of primaries is just so widely distributed, I dont think a direct replacement is possible without redesigning each device. They cant
just be interchanged without changing physical properties of device and the character of the initiating explosive. For loading a detonator at home,
there is wide creative latitude in that regard. I dont believe that can translate to military uses without breaking everything. I do think they will
have to decide which way to go soon considering the old azide stock, but I think the talk of new green primaries isnt realistic unless they want to
practically start from scratch from post-WW2 era. It is certainly possible, it has short comings, I think the lead-free argument that literature puts
forward is about the least concerning aspect of lead azide IMO.
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Microtek
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Direct "drop-in" replacement is possible with materials that are morphologically similar (usually possible to tailor by adjusting process conditions),
less sensitive than LA (many materials are) and at least powerful enough to reliably initiate the base charge in roughly the same amounts as LA. Of
course, the chemical stability must also be good enough to retain at least as long a shelf life as before. I don't think it is too difficult to find a
substance to fit these criteria, but I do think that there is a lot of institutional inertia to overcome (and of course the expense of replacing parts
of the supply chain).
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Hey Buddy
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| Quote: Originally posted by Microtek | | Of course, the chemical stability must also be good enough to retain at least as long a shelf life as before. I don't think it is too difficult to
find a substance to fit these criteria, but I do think that there is a lot of institutional inertia to overcome (and of course the expense of
replacing parts of the supply chain). |
That's what I mean. In isolation, just considering volume dimensions of a device and energy output requirement, it is easy to imagine replacements for
a given purpose. When standardized testing and the DODIC database come into play it starts becoming more complicated, like a mathematical matrix.--
I'm sure at some point, they will start replacement, I think it will be a slow painful process. Usually the only way institutional inertia is defeated
is when the "need" to overcome it is greater than the "need" to preserve it. ie. new, emergency-war aka "just do it". Regardless, I just appreciate
the performance profile of lead azide. The NiAGuPerchlorate seems very similar, I hope I can get to a good synth and testing it soon.
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