Characterization on Surface and Interfacial Properties of Nitramine Crystal Fillers and Polymeric Bonding Agents

The surface and interfacial properties of polymeric bonding agents and nitramine crystal fillers were studied. The surface free energy and adhesion work of polymeric bonding agents and nitramine fillers were calculated by using Kaeble′s equations. It was observed that the hydroxyl values of neutral polymeric bonding agents (NPBA) correlate well with the polar components of surface free energies. On the basis of the measurements of swelling ratio and initial modulus, the interfacial bonding through highly crosslinked polymeric shell formation around the nitramine particles and generating interfacial reinforcement were rationalized. The application of Tapping Mode AFM (atomic force micro scope) to observing the surface morphology of NPBA reveals that methyl acrylate monomer appears to play a role for aiding the formation of network like structure when nanometer scale images of NPBA are created.

Preparation of reduced sensitivity co-crystals of cyclic nitramines using spray flash evaporation

The present day weapon technology demands novel energetic materials that exhibit simultaneous high explosive yield and reduced sensitivity.This article demonstrates application of spray evaporation to prepare reduced sensitive co-crystals of high performance nitramine explosives like HMX and CL-20 with a relatively less insensitive explosive 1,1-diamino-2,2-dinitroethylene or FOX-7.Stronger intermolecurar hydrogen bonding in FOX-7 is responsible for limited solubility in nost of o rganic solvents.Large solubility differences of FOX-7 with HMX and CL-20 restricts ifs co-crystallization through classical methods that yields thermodynamically favorable product.Spray flash evaporation,a kinetic crystallization method,has been therefore adopted and could successfully produce CL-20/FOX-7(2:1) and HMX/FQX-7(4:1) co-crystals.The fine powdered materials obtained were characterized by SEM,powder XRD,Raman spectro scopy,DSC-TGA etc.Multipoint Raman spectra showed consistent occurrence of spectral features indicating stoichiometric co-existence of ingredients in the crystal lattices.DSC analysis showed absence of all thermally assisted solidsolid phase transformation in the co-crystals as they were observed in pristine materials.The thermal stability calculated in terms of activation barrier fordecomposition,revealed the CL-20/FOX-7 co-crystal to be interlediately stable on comparison to their constituents while,the HMX/FOX-7 co-crystal is more stable.Compared to pure HMX and CL-20,both the co-crystals have shown higher insensitivity to impact force,suggesting them to be suitable for future generation insensitive munitions.

Friction Sensitivity of Nitramines. Part Ⅰ:Comparison with Impact Sensitivity and Heat of Fusion

Fractions of β-HMX(β-1,3,5,7-tetranitro-1,3,5,7-tetrazocane) have been used to demonstrate the mutual relationship between friction and impact sensitivities.Inclusion of an additional twelve nitramines into this scenario resulted in a series of partial relationships,which were determined from the molecular structure of these substances.It was also found that there is a relation between increasing heats of fusion of the nitramines studied and their decreasing friction sensitivities.Comparison of friction sensitivity with heats of fusion,ΔHm,tr of the studied nitramines shows that the increase in ΔHm,tr values is more or less connected with a decrease in friction sensitivity.

Crystal lattice free volume in a study of initiation reactivity of nitramines:Friction sensitivity

The relationship between friction sensitivity(FS) and the crystal lattice free space per molecule, △V. of thirteen nitramines is described by a linear equation, divided into a number of the partial relationships with strong limitations by their molecular structure characteristics. Increasing FS due to raising of the △V values is not clearly confirmed. The influence of the △V values on friction sensitivity of nitramines is similar to that of their aza atoms which influence the mutual orientations of nitro groups in neighboring molecules. The dipole-dipole interaction of the oxygen and nitrogen atoms of nitro groups in neighboring nitramine molecules has a major effect on their own FS. In accordance with this interaction, a directly proportional relationship was derived between FS and the intrinsic gas phase molecular volume, V_(int), of the nitramines mentioned, which is divided also into several straight lines according to relatively tight molecular structure similarity. The relationships found again confirm a level of disorder in the distribution of the forces in the crystal lattice of the "common" quality of ε-2,4,6,8,10,12-hexanitro-2,4,6,8,10,12-hexaazaisowurtzitane, in comparison with its reduced sensitivity(RS) or chemically pure analogue.

Crystal lattice free volume in a study of initiation reactivity of nitramines:Impact sensitivity

More detailed analysis of a mutual relationship of impact sensitivity(detected by sound) and crystal lattice free volume, △V, for the 18 nitramines shows that its course is not unequivocal. For a part of the studied compounds this sensitivity has increased with increase of the AV values, but for fairly big number of nitramines the relationship works in the opposite direction, especially for data of 1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazinane, 1,3,5,7-tetranitro-1,3,5,7-tetrazocane. and β-and ε-polymorphs of 2,4,6,8,10,12-hexanitro-2,4,6,8,10,12-hexaazaisowurtzitane. Initiation reactivity of technical ε-polymorph of 2,4,6,8,10,12-hexanitro-2,4,6,8,10,12-hexaazaisowurtzitane gives the impression by disorderliness in distribution of the actions of forces in its crystal lattice in comparison with its RS(reduced sensitivity) or chemically pure analogue. Limitations of partial shapes of the mentioned relationship by the molecular-structural similarity, and already published information about the decisive factors governing the crystal structure, signalizes a higher influence of the intermolecular interactions in a crystal lattice in comparison with influence of the crystal lattice free volume for initiation of the crystalline EMs.

Study on the effect of RDX content on the properties of nitramine propellant

Four kinds of nitroamine propellants with different RDX contents(10%,20%,30%and 40%)were prepared to study the effect of RDX content on the mechanical properties and combustion properties of nitroamine propellant.The mechanical properties and combustion properties of nitroamine propellant at the normal temperature(20C)and low temperature(à40C)were test by using impact testing machine,drop hammer impact test machine and closed bomb vessel.The test results show that the impact strength of30%RDX-contained nitramine propellant is maximum,but 40%RDX-contained nitramine propellant has the minimum impact strength.And the crushing height of propellant with 20%RDX-contained was the highest,but the crushing height of propellant with 40%RDX-contained the lowest.With the increase in RDX content in nitramine propellant,the energy of nitramine propellant increases and its burning rate reduces,but 40%RDX-contained nitramine propellant did not meet this trend at the low temperature because of its poor mechanical properties.

Crystal lattice free volume and thermal decomposition of nitramines

The linear, directly proportional, equations between the Arrhenius parameters(E_α, and log A) of the thermal decomposition and the crystal lattice free space per molecule, △V, of 22 nitramines are described. It is shown that, because of a significant limitation by the molecular structural characteristics of such compounds, they are divided into a number of partial relationships. These partial relationships divide the nitramines into a group of substances relating to dimethyl nitramine and a sub-group related to e-HNIW. These directly proportional equations mean that an increase in the △Vvalues is related to an increase in the thermal stability of the corresponding nitramines. A comparison with similar published dependencies for the impact and friction sensitivities, on the one hand, and with the relationship between the E_a values and the sum of the negative and positive extremes of molecular surface electrostatic potentials, on the other, confirms the well-known fact that intermolecular interaction in the nitramines studied plays a decisive role in the thermal reactivity of such compounds. The crystal lattice free space manifests itself here perhaps only in the solid state thermal decomposition of RDX, HMX and DINGU. This study again confirms a level of disorder in the distribution of the forces in the crystal lattice of the"common" quality of e-HNIW,compared with its "reduced sensitivity(RS)" or pure analogues.

Theoretical Studies on the Thermodynamic Properties and Detonation Performances of Bicyclic Nitramines:TNAD Isomers

Ab initio molecular orbital calculations have been performed at Hartree-Fock （HF）, second-order Mrller-Plesset （MP2）, and hybrid density functional theory （DFT） B3LYP levels with 6-31G^＊＊ basis set to investigate the low sensitive explosive trans-1,4,5,8-tetranitro-1,4,5,8- tetraazadecalin （TNAD） and its seven bicyclic isomers. Their molecular geometries, electronic structures, thermodynamic properties, and detonation performances were predicted and compared. The relationships between structures and various properties were discussed in detail. The calculated results agree well with the available experimental data, and suggest that some compounds may be novel potential candidates of high energy density materials （HEDMs） with performances better than TNT （2,4,6-trinitrotoluene） and similar to RDX （1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazacyclohexane）.

Friction Sensitivity of Nitramines. Part Ⅲ:Comparison with Detonation Performance

The friction sensitivities(FS) of five linear and eight cyclic nitramines have been determined.These FS values were compared with the respective detonation velocities,D,and with the dimensionless ratio created by relating the heat of explosion,Qreal,to the activation energy,Ea,of non-autocatalyzed thermal decomposition of the explosives concerned.For the nitramaines studied,these comparisons show a general trend of FS decreasing with increasing energy content.

Friction Sensitivity of Nitramines. Part Ⅱ:Comparison with Thermal Reactivity

The friction sensitivity(FS) of five linear and eight cyclic nitramines has been determined.Arrhenius parameters of non-autocatalyzed thermal decomposition of these nitramines were used for comparison of the FS values with thermal reactivity.Generally,increasing values of activation energies of non-autocatalyzed decomposition of the studied nitramines are connected with decreasing FS values.A similar trend was found in the relation between FS and hypothetical initiation temperature for 5% conversion of the nitramines after 50 μs of their thermolysis,however,if in the given series of nitramines their initiation reactivity is predominantly determined by the energy content of their molecules and closer similarity of their molecular structures,then the above-mentioned trend may be opposite.The found relationships were used for prediction and verification of the activation energy of non-autocatalyzed thermal decomposition of 2,5-dinitro-2,5-diazahexane.

Friction Sensitivity of Nitramines. Part Ⅳ:Links to Surface Electrostatic Potentials

The friction sensitivity(FS) of five aliphatic linear and eight cyclic nitramines has been determined and correlated with DFT B3LYP/6-31-G(d,p) // 6-311+G(d,p) positive(VS,max) and negative(VS,min) extremes of molecular surface electrostatic potentials VS(r).While there is an ambiguous relationship between the VS,max values and FS values,the decrease of FS is connected(more or less) with increase in VS,min values.

The role of crystal lattice free volume in nitramine detonation

Crystal lattice free volumes,△V,of 22 nitramines introduced into relationships of maximal theoretical crystal densities(TMD),detonation velocities(D)and volume heats of explosives(ρ.Q).Values of all these characteristics increase with an increase in the AV values.However,more realistic dependencies for the TMD and D values are obtained by using correlations with ratio of the intrinsic molecular volume,Vint,to△V(i.e.Vint/△V),whereby the dependence on the D values reflects their similar relationship to a sum of the positive(VS,max)and negative(VS,min)extremes of the molecular surface electrostatic potentials(VS,∑).Also,directly proportional linear relationships are specified between the VS,∑ values on the one hand,and the △V and Vint/△V values,on the other.It is stated that the crystal lattice free volumes might have a similar role in detonation of nitramines as the intermolecular force effect in their molecular crystals(they are as if representative of such forces).

A new look on the electric spark sensitivity of nitramines

Electric spark energy,E_(ES),for a 50%probability of initiation of the 14 nitramines was determined using a measuring instrument in which the electrodes are in direct contact with the sample.Indirectly proportional relationships were established between the logarithm of the E_(ES)values and the length of the longest N-N bond in the nitramine molecule.This finding is compatible with the mechanism of the first step in the electro-reduction of the nitramine grouping.Directly proportional relationships were found to exist between the E_(ES)values and the crystal lattice free volumes,ΔV(i.e.an increase in theΔV values increases the nitramine's resistance to electric sparks)but there were several nitramines with the opposite course of this relationship.Also a semilogarithic relationships between the E_(ES)values and a ratio of intrinsic volumes of molecule,V_(int),to theΔV values were described as well as ambiguous linear dependence between these energies and a sum of the positive and negative extremes of the molecular surface electrostatic potentials,V_(S,∑).Several nitramines studied(always the same ones)display roughly the same distribution in the coordinate systems of relationships with lengths of the longest N-N bonds,the Vint/ΔV ratio and the sum V_(S,∑)as the independent variables.It was found that,typically,such relationships start from a single identical point,in effect a point corresponding to data for a structural unit from which tho studied nitramines can be hypothetically generated,and/or are converging on another point,often the one corresponding to the data for HNIW.All the findings point to a fundamental influence of the intermolecular forces on reactivity of nitramines exposed to electric sparks.

Quire Interaction of Certain Nitramine Type Explosives with Proton--A DFT Study

The composites of certain nitramine type explosives,TETRYL,RDX and EDNA,with proton in vacuum have been considered within the constraints of density functional theory at the level of B3LYP/6-31++G(d,p)(restricted and unrestricted).The results indicate that unexpectedly hydrogen molecule production occurs by the interaction of proton and a hydrogen of CH3(TETRYL)and CH2(RDX and EDNA)groups.As a result,a carbocation is generated on the explosive molecules.Thereafter,TETRYL which potentially has many protonation sites were investigated in more detail in vacuum and aqueous conditions.The data reveals that the composite system(TETRYL+proton)is less stable than TETRYL protonated on nitramine NH or oxygen of the nitro groups.

Relationship between Electric Spark Sensitivity of Cyclic Nitramines and Their Molecular Electronic Properties

On the basis of the structural and electronic properties of 14 different cyclic nitramine molecules, two types of formulas are employed to predict their electric spark sensitivity. One contains the minimum Mulliken charges of nitro group, the ratio of hydrogen to oxygen, and the ratio of carbon to oxygen; the other contains the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital energy, the ratio of hydrogen to oxygen, and the ratio of carbon to oxygen. Using these two types of formulas, we calculate the electric spark sensitivity of these 14 cyclic nitramine molecules, and compare them with the experimental data and previous theoretical values. And our investigations show that the former type of formula is better than the latter on predicting the electric spark sensitivity for cyclic nitramine molecules.

Theoretical studies on high energetic density nitramine explosives containing pyridine

The insensitive property of explosives containing pyfidine is combined with the high energy of nitramine explosives, and the concept of new nitramine explosives containing pyridine is proposed, into which nitramine group with N-N bonds is intro- duced as much as possible. Based on molecular structures of nitramine compounds containing pyridine, density functional the- ory （DFT） calculation method was applied to study designed molecules at B3LYP/6-31＋G（d） level. The geometric and elec- tronic structures, density, heats of formation （HOF）, detonation performance and bond dissociation energies （BDE） were investigated and comparable to 1,3,5-trinitro-l,3,5-triazinane （RDX） and 1,3,5,7-tetranitro-1,3,5,7-tetrazocane （HMX）. The simulation results reveal that molecules B and D perform similarly to traditionally used RDX. Molecule E outperform RDX, with performance that approach that of HMX and may be considered as potential candidate of high energy density compound （HEDC）. These results provide basic information for molecular design of novel high energetic density compounds.

Intra-Ring Bridging:A Strategy for Molecular Design of Highly Energetic Nitramines

Main observation and conclusion Important progress has been made in the development of energetic molecules with high performance by computer-aided molecular design in recent years,but structural novelty of organic scaffolds is insufficient.In this work,we propose an intra-ring bridging strategy inspired by the known energetic nitramines to design novel polycyclic and cage energetic molecules.More than 100 energetic structures were designed by introducing the C—C bridges and increasing the ring size.The synthesis difficulty is considered besides the two most concerned properties of EMs,energy and safety.After a comprehensive estimation,a symmetric cage molecule labeled as 8U-30 was finally selected because of its relatively high detonation performance,and comparable impact sensitivity as well as synthetic accessibility with CL-20.Hopefully,the proposed strategy could be utilized in further molecular design to gain various scaffolds,especially cage structures,for different demands.

An overview on importance, synthetic strategies and studies of 2,4,6,8,10,12-hexanitro-2,4,6,8,10,12-hexaazaisowurtzitane(HNIW)

2,4,6,8,10,12-Hexanitro-2,4,6,8,10,12-hexaazaisowurtzitane(HNIW), commonly called as CL-20, is a high energy and high density material of keen interest to both commercial and scientific worlds due to its greater insensitivity(reduced sensitivity) along with a positive high heat of formation, which is due to the azanitro groups attached to the skeleton of HNIW and its highly strained cage structure. It plays a remarkable role in modification and replacement of most of the propellant(gun and rocket) preparations. In this report we present the comparative strategies involved in the syntheses of HNIW with respect to economical and environmental aspects. Various methods reported in the literature on the purification of the crude HNIW(α-HNIW) to obtain ε-form of HNIW(high dense/more potential) are consolidated. Understanding of the structure, morphology, energetics, thermal behavior and their modification to meet the applicability(decreased impact sensitivity) determines the industrial application of HNIW. A compilation of the available literature on the aforementioned characteristic properties for obtaining a value added ε-HNIW is discussed here. This overview also reports the literature available on newer forms of HNIW including derivatives and cocrystals,which increase the performance of HNIW.

Effect of energy content of the nitraminic plastic bonded explosives on their performance and sensitivity characteristics

Information about the forty nine nitraminic plastic bonded explosives(PBXs)and different nitramines were collected.Fillers of these PBXs are nitramines 1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazinane(RDX)and β-1,3,5,7-tetranitro-1,3,5-tetrazocane(β-HMX),cis-1,3,4,6-tetranitro-octahydroimidazo-[4,5-d]imidazole(bicyclo-HMX,BCHMX)and e-2,4,6,8,10,12-hexanitro-2,4,6,8,10,12-hexaazaisowurtzitane(e-HNIW,CL-20)which are bonded by polyfluoro-elastomers,polydimethyl-siloxane,poly-glycidyl azide,polyisobutylene,polystyrene-butadiene,poly-acrylonitrile-butadiene and hydroxyl-terminated polybutadiene in addition to a melt cast compositions based on 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene.For thirty two of these PBXs the relationships are specified and analyzed between heats of their combustion and relative explosive strengths;by means of these relationships it might be possible to estimate,which groupings in the macromolecule of binder could be liable to their primary fission in the PBXs initiation.Similarly,for forty two of these explosives,the relationships are described and analyzed between their enthalpies of formation and impact sensitivities;here is especially attention paid to PBXs filled by BCHMX.Specific rate constants from Vacuum Stability Test(VST)of four nitramines and twenty PBXs are introduced into relationships with their enthalpies of formation.Regarding to all the mentioned cases,increasing of energy content of the studied explosives leads to increase of the relative explosive strength or initiation reactivity,respectively.Exception with the opposite trend,the outputs of VST are for BCHMX,where in PBXs are matrices with the esteric plasticizers or the energetic poly-glycidyl azide.Admixture of RDX or HMX,respectively,into the BCHX PBXs gives ternary PBXs whose thermal stability,in the sense of applied VST,is higher comparing to the original binary explosives.

Substituent Effect on Infrared Spectra and Thermodynamic Properties of Polynitroamino Substituted Cyclopentane and Cyclohexane

Density functional theory method was employed to study the effect of the nitroamino group as a substituent in cyclopentane and cyclohexane, which usually construct polycyclic or caged nitramines. Based on the optimized molecular structures of two groups of monocyclic nitramines at the B3LYP/6-31G^＊＊ level, the infrared （IR） spectra were obtained and assigned by harmonic vibrational analysis. The calculated results agree reasonably with the available experimental data. According to the principles of statistic thermodynamics, thermodynamic properties were derived from the IR spectra, which were linearly correlated with the number of nitroamino groups as well as the temperature. The contributions of nitroamino groups to thermodynamic properties are in accord with the group additivity.