An In Situ, Automated High-Explosives Aging Method Utilizing Two-Dimensional Gas Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry
- Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
Understanding chemical changes that occur in high explosives as they age is of great importance to the safe employment and storage of these compounds. Traditional methods of aging high explosives even under accelerated aging conditions are time intensive with durations on the order of months to years. The nature of traditional aging analyses reduces each sample to a snapshot data point often separated widely in time, requiring many assumptions as to how the degradation products develop. Further complicating matters, several analytical techniques are typically employed for each sample analysis in order to ascertain an entire picture of the decomposition pathways. To address these shortcomings with existing methods, a new method of accelerated aging of high explosives utilizing comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography coupled to high-resolution mass spectrometry (GC × GC-HRMS) was developed using 2,4,6,8,10,12-hexanitro-2,4,6,8,10,12-hexaazaisowurtzitane (CL-20) as a model compound for method development. This in situ automated method reduces the time scale of aging to a matter of hours using the inlet of the GC × GC as the aging vessel. GC × GC in combination with HRMS allowed for the collection of both evolved gases and other decomposition products produced during the entire aging process in real time with HRMS providing far greater certainty in identification of explosives aging products. Additionally, this method allowed for a higher throughput of samples with greatly simplified sample preparation. Chemometric analysis of the GC × GC-HRMS data set via the alteration analysis (ALA) enabled discovery of statistically significant chemical changes providing insight into the variation of decomposition pathways with varying aging temperatures.
- Research Organization:
- Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA)
- Grant/Contract Number:
- 89233218CNA000001
- OSTI ID:
- 2575612
- Report Number(s):
- LA-UR--25-22837; 10.1021/acsomega.5c03888
- Journal Information:
- ACS Omega, Journal Name: ACS Omega Journal Issue: 26 Vol. 10; ISSN 2470-1343
- Publisher:
- American Chemical Society (ACS)Copyright Statement
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Development of a Gas Chromatography with High-Resolution Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry Methodology for BDNPA/F
Linear actuation using milligram quantities of CL-20 and TAGDNAT.
Characterization of solid wastes from conventional coal combustion processes
Journal Article
·
Tue Aug 08 20:00:00 EDT 2023
· ACS Omega
·
OSTI ID:1996169
Linear actuation using milligram quantities of CL-20 and TAGDNAT.
Conference
·
Wed Jul 01 00:00:00 EDT 2009
·
OSTI ID:989997
Characterization of solid wastes from conventional coal combustion processes
Technical Report
·
Mon May 01 00:00:00 EDT 1989
·
OSTI ID:5752701