Temporal Analysis of Exploding Film Burst Phenomenon

A technique to determine the time of burst for exploding aluminum metallized films has been studied. An experimental approach has been taken to determine the burst time relative to the discharge current, voltage, resistance, and power waveforms. A microphone transducer was employed to detect the time of burst from the sound produced by the bursting of the film and was compared to the calculated burst times. A theoretical discussion on the energy needed to melt and vaporize the film is also presented and compared to the experimental results.