Critical Ignition Temperature

Critical ignition temperature (TI) is the minimum temperature for which an explosive, propellant, or pyrotechnic charge of specified size, shape, and boundary constraint must be heated in order to induce thermal runaway. Methods of thermal analysis such as differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) are uniquely suited for evaluating the thermokinetic parameters required to calculate TI. Small scale independent testing is a necessary prerequisite for scaling TI for systems with equivalent heat-transfer characteristics to larger radii. Valid calculations and reliable scaling require accurate thermokinetic parameters. This presentation addresses a practical approach for prediction and validation of TI data.