Manufacturing Commercial Explosive Simulants

XM Commercial Simulants mimic explosives commonly used in mining, quarrying and civil construction. There are simulants for Dynamite and for three generic emulsion/water gel-type explosives (Low, Medium and High Z explosives). These simulants are prepared in the large Cowles dissolver normally used for manufacturing paints. See Figure 4.

Water is first added to the mixing vessel, followed by solids with the appropriate density and atomic number. Small amounts of preservative and gelling agents are added to produce the final mixture with a consistency similar to toothpaste. Mixing is done at room temperature. These simulants are then extruded into sausages or bulk packaged in pails. Figure 5 shows both packaged XM commercial explosive simulants and artist's paints produced in this equipment.

Manufacturing Melt-Cast Explosive Simulants

XM produces three simulants for the high energy melt-cast explosives TNT, Tritonal and Comp B. These simulants are produced in the same mixing equipment as the commercial explosive simulants but at higher temperature (70C to 90C). A wax-like material is first melted and solids with the desired density and atomic number are added at temperature with mixing until uniform. Figure 6 shows the molten TNT simulant being mixed.

The molten simulant is solidified into sheets, ground into small flakes and packaged in pails. The flake material can also be melted and cast into molds to produce precise shapes. See Figure 7.

Manufacturing Gun Powder Simulants

XM makes simulants for both Black and Smokeless powder. Solids with the appropriate densities and atomic numbers are mixed in the large powder blender shown in Figure 8. A simulant for the granular explosive ANFO (ammonium nitrate/fuel oil) is also made in this blender.

Conclusion

Large scale production equipment used for making artist’s clays and paints has proven to be ideally suited for preparing a suite of explosive X-ray simulants. Over five thousand pounds of these materials have been produced during the past few years. These X-ray simulants are now being used extensively in the testing of equipment and training of personnel at numerous airports.

X-ray simulants are packaged in three kits. One each high energy military explosives, gun powders, and blasting explosives. These three kits are depicted in Figure 9.

Fig. 4 (click to enlarge)

Fig. 5 (click to enlarge)

Fig. 6 (click to enlarge)

Fig. 7 (click to enlarge)

The Art in Homeland Security
"From Artist’s Clay & Paints to Explosive Simulants"
Robert Augur, V.P.XM Division, Van Aken International

Introduction

XM is a division of Van Aken International located in North Charleston, South Carolina. Founded in 1986, Van Aken International manufactures paints and modeling clay used by artists worldwide.

In 1998, on a lead from the FAA Technical Center, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) and Van Aken International collaborated to provide a commercial source for the production of non-hazardous X-ray explosive simulants. There were many technical and process development challenges.

This paper summarizes how the process technology developed for the production of artist’s supplies was used in the production of X-ray explosive simulants.

Determining Simulant Compositions

Over 200 preliminary trial formulations were made at LLNL. The key parameters relating to X-ray transmission were to match density and average atomic number. It was also very important to match the physical state of the target explosives while insuring the non-hazardous, non-toxic nature of these simulants.

Thirteen of these formulations were chosen for production. They are representative of the range of X-ray signatures exhibited by almost all of the many thousands of explosive materials available worldwide.

Manufacturing Commercial Explosive Simulants

SEMTEX, Comp C-4 and Detasheet explosives are moldable high-energy explosives that have had extensive military use. Their physical properties are very similar to artist's modeling clay. XM Division's large sigma mixer (Figure 1) is ideally suited for preparing these materials.

Plastic and plasticizer are first added to the large mixer heated to about 110C. Solids with the appropriate density and atomic number are then added. After mixing is complete, the hot putty-like solid is removed in approximately twenty-pound blobs.(Figure 2) compares product from a 1,200-pound mix of modeling clay to product from a Comp C-4 simulant mix.

Artist's modeling clay and plastique explosives are extruded to final shape. XM Division installed a high capacity vacuum extruder to obtain the high densities required for the plastique X-ray explosive simulants. See Figure 3.

Fig. 1 (click to enlarge)

Fig. 2 (click to enlarge)

Fig. 3 (click to enlarge)