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The Potential Energy Hotspot: Effects of Impact Velocity, Defect Geometry, and Crystallographic Orientation

Journal Article · · Journal of Physical Chemistry. C
 [1];  [2];  [1]
  1. Purdue Univ., West Lafayette, IN (United States). Birck Nanotechnology Center
  2. Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)

In energetic materials, the localization of energy into “hotspots” is known to dictate the initiation of chemical reactions and detonation. Recent all-atom simulations have shown that more energy is localized as internal potential energy (PE) than can be inferred from the kinetic energy (KE) alone. The mechanisms associated with pore collapse and hotspot formation are known to depend on pore geometry and dynamic material response such as plasticity. Therefore, we use molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to characterize shock-induced pore collapse and the subsequent formation of hotspots in 1,3,5-triamino-2,4,6-trinitrobenzene (TATB), a highly anisotropic molecular crystal, for various defect shapes, shock strengths, and crystallographic orientations. We find that the localization of energy as PE is consistently larger than the KE in cases with significant plastic deformation. Additionally, an analysis of MD trajectories reveals the underlying molecular- and crystal-level processes that govern the effect of orientation and pore shape on PE localization. We find that the regions of highest PE relate to the areas of maximum plastic deformation, while KE is maximized at the point of impact. Comparisons against octahydro-1,3,5,7-tetranitro-1,3,5,7-tetrazocine (HMX) reveal less energy localization in TATB, which could be a contributing factor to the latter’s insensitivity.

Research Organization:
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA); US Office of Naval Research (ONR)
Grant/Contract Number:
AC52-07NA27344
OSTI ID:
1864936
Report Number(s):
LLNL-JRNL-827022; 1041045
Journal Information:
Journal of Physical Chemistry. C, Journal Name: Journal of Physical Chemistry. C Journal Issue: 7 Vol. 126; ISSN 1932-7447
Publisher:
American Chemical SocietyCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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