SIST EN 13938-5:2025

SLOVENSKI STANDARD
01-december-2025
Eksplozivi za civilno uporabo - Pogonska (smodniki) in raketna goriva - 5. del:
Preverjanje varnega delovanja trdnih raketnih goriv, ki se uporabljajo v majhnih
raketnih motorjih
Explosives for civil uses - Propellants and rocket propellants - Part 5: Verification of safe
functioning of solid rocket propellants used in small rocket motors
Explosivstoffe für zivile Zwecke - Treibladungspulver und Raketentreibstoffe - Teil 5:
Bestimmung von Lunkern und Rissen
Explosifs à usage civil - Poudres propulsives et propergols pour propulseurs - Partie 5 :
Vérification du fonctionnement sûr des propergols solides pour propulseurs utilisés dans
les petits moteurs fusées
Ta slovenski standard je istoveten z: EN 13938-5:2025
ICS:
71.100.30 Eksplozivi. Pirotehnika in Explosives. Pyrotechnics and
ognjemeti fireworks
2003-01.Slovenski inštitut za standardizacijo. Razmnoževanje celote ali delov tega standarda ni dovoljeno.

EN 13938-5
EUROPEAN STANDARD
NORME EUROPÉENNE
October 2025
EUROPÄISCHE NORM
ICS 71.100.30 Supersedes EN 13938-5:2004
English Version
Explosives for civil uses - Propellants and rocket
propellants - Part 5: Verification of safe functioning of
solid rocket propellants used in small rocket motors
Explosifs à usage civil - Poudres propulsives et Explosivstoffe für zivile Zwecke - Treibladungspulver
propergols pour propulseurs - Partie 5 : Vérification du und Raketentreibstoffe - Teil 5: Bestimmung von
fonctionnement sûr des propergols solides pour Lunkern und Rissen
propulseurs utilisés dans les petits moteurs fusées
This European Standard was approved by CEN on 29 September 2025.

CEN members are bound to comply with the CEN/CENELEC Internal Regulations which stipulate the conditions for giving this
European Standard the status of a national standard without any alteration. Up-to-date lists and bibliographical references
concerning such national standards may be obtained on application to the CEN-CENELEC Management Centre or to any CEN
member.
This European Standard exists in three official versions (English, French, German). A version in any other language made by
translation under the responsibility of a CEN member into its own language and notified to the CEN-CENELEC Management
Centre has the same status as the official versions.

CEN members are the national standards bodies of Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia,
Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway,
Poland, Portugal, Republic of North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Türkiye and
United Kingdom.
EUROPEAN COMMITTEE FOR STANDARDIZATION
COMITÉ EUROPÉEN DE NORMALISATION

EUROPÄISCHES KOMITEE FÜR NORMUNG

CEN-CENELEC Management Centre: Rue de la Science 23, B-1040 Brussels
© 2025 CEN All rights of exploitation in any form and by any means reserved Ref. No. EN 13938-5:2025 E
worldwide for CEN national Members.

Contents Page
European foreword . 3
1 Scope . 5
2 Normative references . 5
3 Terms and definitions . 5
4 Principle . 5
5 Apparatus . 5
6 Preparation of test sample . 8
7 Procedure . 8
7.1 Testing . 8
7.2 Evaluation of test results . 8
8 Expression of results . 9
9 Test report . 9
Annex A (informative) Non-destructive test methods for the determination of voids and
fissures in solid rocket propellants . 10
Annex ZA (informative) Relationship between this European Standard and the essential
requirements of Directive 2014/28/EU relating to the making available on the
market and supervision of explosives for civil uses aimed to be covered . 11
Bibliography . 12
European foreword
This document (EN 13938-5:2025) has been prepared by Technical Committee CEN/TC 321 “Explosives
for civil uses”, the secretariat of which is held by UNE.
This European Standard shall be given the status of a national standard, either by publication of an
identical text or by endorsement, at the latest by April 2026, and conflicting national standards shall be
withdrawn at the latest by April 2026.
Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject of
patent rights. CEN shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.
This document supersedes EN 13938-5:2004.
a) the document title has been changed from “Part 5: Determination of voids and fissures” to “Part 5:
Verification of safe functioning of solid rocket propellants used in small rocket motors”;
b) the Introduction has been removed and the text has been moved to Clause 4;
c) the Scope has been revised to clarify that the document contains a test method for the verification of
safe functioning of solid rocket propellants used in small rocket motors and that the non-destructive
test methods for the determination of voids and fissures in solid rocket propellants in Annex A are
given for information;
d) the normative references have been updated;
e) the terminology entries 3.1 to 3.7 have been removed;
f) the Clause 4 “Principle” has been added;
g) the Clause 5 “Apparatus” has been added and contains the revised specifications of former
Subclause 5.2;
h) the Clause 6 “Preparation of test sample” has been added and contains the revised specifications of
former subclause 5.1;
i) the Clause 7 “Procedure” has been added and contains the revised specifications of former
subclauses 5.3 and 5.4;
j) the Clause 8 “Expression of results” has been added;
k) the Clause “Test report” does no longer require conformity with EN ISO/IEC 17025 and the
information to be provided has been revised in accordance with the revised procedure;
l) the Annex A “Non-destructive test methods for the determination of voids and fissures in solid rocket
propellants” has been added and contains the specifications of the former Clause 4;
m) the Annex ZA has been updated;
n) the Bibliography has been added and lists EN ISO/IEC 17025:2017.
This document has been prepared under a standardization request addressed to CEN by the European
Commission. The Standing Committee of the EFTA States subsequently approves these requests for its
Member States.
For the relationship with EU Legislation, see informative Annex ZA, which is an integral part of this
document.
A list of all parts in the EN 13938 series, published under the general title Explosives for civil uses —
Propellants and rocket propellants, can be found on the CEN website.
Any feedback and questions on this document should be directed to the users’ national standards body.
A complete listing of these bodies can be found on the CEN website.
According to the CEN-CENELEC Internal Regulations, the national standards organisations of the
following countries are bound to implement this European Standard: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia,
Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland,
Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Republic of North
Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Türkiye and the United
Kingdom.
1 Scope
This document specifies a method for the verification of safe functioning of solid rocket propellants used
in small rocket motors. The test method provides for an indirect assessment of the existence of
unintentional voids and fissures of solid rocket propellants that could dangerously affect the functioning
of rocket motors.
This document also provides an informative list of non-destructive testing (NDT) methods for detecting
voids and fissures of solid rocket propellants used in large rocket motors containing.
This document does not apply to solid gun propellants, black powder or powder cakes.
2 Normative references
The following documents are referred to in the text in such a way that some or all of their content
constitutes requirements of this document. For dated references, only the edition cited applies. For
undated references, the latest edition of the referenced document (including any amendments) applies.
EN 10025-5:2019, Hot rolled products of structural steels - Part 5: Technical delivery conditions for
structural steels with improved atmospheric corrosion resistance
EN 13857-1:2025, Explosives for civil uses — Part 1: Vocabulary
EN 13938-1:2025, Explosives for civil uses — Propellants and rocket propellants — Part 1: Requirements
3 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this document, the terms and definitions given in EN 13857-1:2025 apply.
ISO and IEC maintain terminology databases for use in standardization at the following addresses:
• ISO Online browsing platform: available at https://www.iso.org/obp
• IEC Electropedia: available at https://www.electropedia.org/
4 Principle
The presence of large or numerous voids or fissures in solid rocket propellants can result in dangerously
high pressures due to increased propellant burning surfaces negatively affecting safe and reliable
functioning. Voids result from the unintended inclusion of gas bubbles, and fissures are longitudinal or
planar discontinuities in the propellant material.
For solid rocket propellants used in small rocket motors, the presence of voids and fissures can be
indirectly determined by burning the small rocket motor and measuring the thrust history over time. The
presence of voids and fissures dangerously affecting the functioning can be recognized by a sudden
increase of thrust during burning.
For large rocket motors containing solid rocket propellants, voids and fissures can be determined by
means of different non-destructive test (NDT) methods, see informative Annex A.
5 Apparatus
5.1 V-shaped carrier , as shown on the right side of Figure 1, made of steel onto which a steel tube
having an inner diameter corresponding to the outer diameter of the small rocket motor is welded

Small rocket motors are available in different dimensions. Due to the variability in dimensions, no general
dimensions for the V-shaped carrier can be specified.
providing a mounting for the test piece. The tube shall be positioned along the centre line of the carrier
so that the thrust of the test piece operates parallel to the longitudinal side of the carrier. Additionally, a
steel plate shall be welded onto the upper side of the tube and to the carrier. A fastening screw at the top
part of the steel tube shall be provided to hold the test piece inside the tube in position; for this, a threaded
hole shall be provided in the steel plate and the steel tube. The front end of the tube shall be closed by a
triangular steel plate which is also welded to the carrier. The front end of the carrier shall be closed by a
triangular steel plate as well and may be additionally fitted with a steel bolt or similar (see Figure 2,
item 3) to transfer the thrust force onto the force transducer. All steel parts of the carrier shall be made
from steel in accordance with EN 10025-5:2019, Table 4, having at least a minimum yield strength of
235 MPa and a nominal thickness ≤ 16mm.

Key
1 V-shaped steel trough (5.2)
2 ball bearers (see 5.2)
3 position of the force transducer (5.3), as shown in Figure 2
4 triangular steel plate
5 rear end of the carrier or trough, respectively
6 steel tube (see 5.1)
7 steel plate with a threaded hole to hold the fastening screw (see 5.1)
8 fastening screw (see 5.1)
9 welding seams
Figure 1 — V-shaped trough (left) and V-shaped carrier (right)
5.2 V-shaped steel trough , as shown on the left side of Figure 1 having an angle of 90° and
dimensions to contain the V-shaped carrier (5.1). Four ball bearers shall be built into the sidewalls to
provide a virtually frictionless movement of the V-shaped carrier; two on each side. The front end of the
trough shall be closed by a triangular steel plate equipped with a force transducer (5.3) as shown in
Figure 2. The trough in the position shown in Figure 1 shall be mounted on a fixed
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