5 Considerations for Thermal Conductivity Testing of Energetic Materials

Added: 2026-04-30

[00:00:03]Five things to consider for testing the thermal conductivity of energetic materials. One, sample volume. Less material means less material at risk.

[00:00:11]Your test method should work with small sample volumes. Two, test duration.

[00:00:17]Every second of heat input is exposure time. Your method should be completed in seconds, not minutes.

[00:00:22]>> [music] >> Three, power input. Thermal conductivity testing applies heat. When testing energetic materials, that input needs to stay low, well below any initiation threshold. Four, electrical grounding.

[00:00:33]Some energetic materials are sensitive to static discharge. This means that your test method needs to be groundable, and this needs to be verified before you run the test. Five, contact pressure.

[00:00:43]Any method that clamps or compresses a sample introduces mechanical energy.

[00:00:47]That is an unnecessary variable and an unnecessary risk. Leading researchers in the field of energetic materials, like the Canadian Explosives Research Laboratory, rely on MTPS to measure the thermal conductivity of ammonium nitrate, and this is available on the Trident instrument. Learn more at ctherm.com.

[00:01:05]Set your heart on fire.