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Production and Sensitivity Evaluation of Nanocrystalline RDX‐based Explosive Compositions
Author(s) -
Stepanov Victor,
Anglade Venant,
Balas Hummers Wendy A.,
Bezmelnitsyn Andrey V.,
Krasnoperov Lev N.
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
propellants, explosives, pyrotechnics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.56
H-Index - 65
eISSN - 1521-4087
pISSN - 0721-3115
DOI - 10.1002/prep.201000114
Subject(s) - explosive material , nanocrystalline material , materials science , supercritical fluid , solvent , crystal (programming language) , chemical engineering , sensitivity (control systems) , shock (circulatory) , supercritical carbon dioxide , grain size , analytical chemistry (journal) , composite material , nanotechnology , chromatography , organic chemistry , chemistry , electronic engineering , computer science , medicine , engineering , programming language
The initiation sensitivity of cyclotrimethylenetrinitramine (RDX) was investigated as a function of crystal size. For this study, RDX powders with mean crystal sizes of ca. 200 and 500 nm were prepared by rapid expansion of supercritical solutions (RESS) with carbon dioxide as the solvent. Initiation sensitivity testing to impact, sustained shock, and electrostatic discharge stimuli was performed on uncoated as well as wax‐coated specimens. The test data revealed that in a direct comparison to coarser grades the nanocrystalline RDX‐based samples were substantially less sensitive to shock and impact stimuli. Furthermore, the 500 nm RDX‐based specimens exhibited the lowest sensitivity values, an indication that minima in shock and impact sensitivities with respect to crystal size exist.