A drop hammer test of cyclotrimethylene-trinitramine (RDX) was conducted with assemblies that were designed to have an absorber placed under the anvil cylinder. Video images showed that the sample particles ignited after crushing. A polypropylene (PP) plate absorbed the impact from the drop hammer and allowed the median drop-height H50% for the RDX sample to increase by 2.8 times compared to the result without a plate. This result demonstrates the effect of the condition of the installation and the structure of the base. It also implies the possibility of further development in impact sensitivity testing, providing a better resolution for high-sensitivity explosives.
RDX, impact sensitivity, drop hammer, base, absorber