Publications - Materials Technology

The NIMIC Cost and Benefit Analysis Model (CBAM) is designed to aid in the assessment of the cost and benefits of introducing IM into service. Creation of such a model is a goal of NIMIC and is identified in its strategic plan.

The NIMIC has recognised from its inception that its regular workshops constitute a significant factor in the advancement of IM technology in the member nations.

The NIMIC organised a workshop under the tit le "Small-scale Testing and Modelling", which was held at the Four Points Hotel, Fort Walton Beach, FL, USA from the 24th to 28th January 2000.

This paper links power dissipation in energetic materials to their shock and thermal initiation criteria and their propensity to crack under mechanical strain.

Member nations of NIMIC expressed the desire to reduce the amount of full-scale testing associated with IM assessment.

After defining Sensitivity, Sensitiveness and Explosiveness, the paper examines analytical expressions governing shock initiation by projectile impact, several different non-shock processes of ignition of deflagration and high strain rate fracture mechanics of energetic materials.

In 1997 NIMIC held a Workshop on IM Testing the aim of which was "to write guidance on full-scale IM testing in order to improve confidence in and achieve international acceptability and broader applicability of test results".

During the last 5 years NIMIC has organised a series of Workshops for its nations on IM threat stimuli. These workshops have covered Bullet/Fragment Impact, Cookoff (Slow and Fast), Sympathetic Reaction and Shaped Charge Jet Impingement.

In the interest of providing immediate information resulting from Phase II of this Workshop, NIMIC has prepared Volume III of the IM Testing Workshop Report, covering Bullet Impact, Fragment Impact, Shaped Charge Jet Impact, Spall Impact as well as some considerations on Spigot

The NIMIC Insensitive Munitions award is an initiative of the NlMlC Staff, in particular that of Patrick Kernen, who was in charge of developing Mitigation Methods from 1991 to 1996.