Examination of phase transformations and decomposition chemistry in thermally aged thin-film explosives
To develop predictive models for the response of weapon systems to abnormal thermal environments, such as cookoff, an improved understanding of temperature-dependent thermophysical phenomena (such as phase transformations) and decomposition chemistry in totally confined explosive samples is needed. It is particularly important to examine the effects of maintaining-intimate contact between the decomposition products and the remaining condensed-phase explosive during slow reaction at elevated temperatures since confinement of the decomposition products may significantly affect thermophysical phenomena and decomposition reaction rates. The purpose of this work has been to examine experimentally the effects on condensed-phase chemistry which result when decomposition products remain in intimate contact with the reacting explosive during isothermal aging experiments at temperatures below those of the DTA exotherm for the explosive. To provide confinement, minimize vapor space, and permit condensed-phase chemical analysis, experiments were done using thin-film samples of the explosive, which were pressed and sealed between two infrared-transmitting windows, so that condensed-phase chemistry could be monitored using infrared spectroscopy. Experiments were done with NC, HMX, HMX-NC composite, and RDX samples. Results from the experiments with NC showed that for some decomposition mechanisms, the reaction rates for confined samples compared favorably with published reaction rates from unconfined samples. However, the results also demonstrated that for other mechanisms, the reaction rates were significantly affected by confinement of the decomposition products. The experiments with HMX and RDX indicated that some decomposition occurred at temperatures well below the temperatures of the respective DTA exotherms, and the experiments with HMX-NC composite samples showed some interaction between NC and HMX at temperatures as low as 150{degrees}C.
- Research Organization:
- Sandia National Labs., Albuquerque, NM (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC04-76DP00789
- OSTI ID:
- 10102427
- Report Number(s):
- SAND--92-2662C; CONF-9305189--6; ON: DE93040054
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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