Dan Song

Synthesis, thermolysis, and sensitivities of HMX/NC energetic nanocomposites.

1,3,5,7-Tetranittro-1,3,5,7-tetrazocane/nitrocellulose (HMX/NC) nanocomposites were successfully synthesized by an improved sol-gel-supercritical method. NC nanoparticles with a size of ∼30nm were cross-linked to form a network structure, and HMX nanoparticles were imbedded in the nano-NC matrix. The key factors, i.e., the selection of catalyst and solvent, were probed. No phase transformation of the HMX occurred before or after fabrication, and the molecular structures of the HMX and NC did not change. Thermal analyses were performed, and the kinetic and thermodynamic parameters, such as activation energy (EK), per-exponent factor (lnAK), rate constant (k), activation heat (ΔH(≠)), activation free energy (ΔG(≠)), activation entropy (ΔS(≠)), critical temperature of thermal explosion (Tb), and critical heating rate of thermal explosion (dT/dt)Tb, were calculated. The results indicate that HMX/NC presented a much lower activation energy (165.03kJ/mol) than raw HMX (282.5kJ/mol) or raw NC (175.51kJ/mol). The chemical potential (ΔG(≠)) for the thermal decomposition of HMX/NC has a positive value, which means that the activation of the molecules would not proceed spontaneously. The significantly lower ΔH(≠) value of HMX/NC, which represents the heat needed to be absorbed by an explosive molecule to change it from its initial state to an activated state, implies that the molecules of HMX/NC are much easier to be activated than those of raw HMX. Similarly, the HMX/NC presented a much lower Tb (168.2°C) than raw HMX (283.2°C). From the results of the sensitivity tests, the impact and friction sensitivities of HMX/NC were significantly decreased compared with those of raw HMX, but the thermal sensitivity was distinctly higher. The activation of the particles under external stimulation was simulated, and the mechanism was found to be crucial. Combining the thermodynamic parameters, the mechanism as determined from the results of the sensitivity tests was discussed in detail.

A feature on ensuring safety of superfine explosives

To probe the dependence of particle size on the safety of nitroamine explosives, coarse RDX and HMX were comminuted to nanometer particles by an improved superfine mill. Their thermolysis characteristics were studied by thermal analysis and described via calculating some thermodynamic and kinetic parameters such as the activation free-energy (ΔG≠), activation enthalpy (ΔH≠), activation entropy (ΔS≠), apparent activation energy (E), critical temperature of thermal explosion (Tb), and critical heating rate of thermal explosion (

Catalysis of a Nanometre Solid Super Acid of SO42−/TiO2 on the Thermal Decomposition of Ammonium Nitrate

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Preparation and catalytic activity of Ni/CNTs nanocomposites using microwave irradiation heating method

). After comminuted, the values of Tb and

A novel activation for electroless plating on preparing Ni/PS microspheres

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Dependence of the Mechanical Sensitivity on the Fractal Characteristics of Octahydro‐1,3,5,7‐tetranitro‐1,3,5,7‐tetrazocine Particles

were increased. However, the values of ΔH≠, ΔS≠, ΔG≠, and E for nanoexplosives were close to those of microexplosives, which mean decreasing particle size into nanometer did not distinctly influence the thermolysis characteristic of nitroamines. The safety of the nanoexplosives was practically assessed by testing their impact, friction, and shock sensitivities. Results indicated that nano nitroamines presented obviously higher safety than the micro-counterparts. Especially in Small Scale Gap Test, the shock sensitivity of nano-RDX and nano-HMX decreased by about 45 and 56% compared with that of micro-RDX and micro-HMX, respectively.