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Nitrate ester decomposition and degradation of molecular weight in nitrocellulose from thermal decomposition of PBX-9404 below 100/sup 0/C

Technical Report ·
OSTI ID:6099345

The thermal decomposition of nitrate ester (-ONO/sub 2/) in the nitrocellulose (NC) binder of PBX-9404 was studied. Evidence was found that the tri-esterified NC subunits decompose most readily; by calculating the relative populations of mono-, di-, and tri-esterfied subunits and monitoring NC composition as a function of (-ONO/sub 2/) loss, the extent of degradation of the NC molecular weight was estimated. Decomposition of (-ONO/sub 2/) obeyed second-order kinetics, and the activation energy for decomposition (26.1 kcal/mol) agreed with values calculated on the basis of weight loss or the amount of evolved gas.

Research Organization:
California Univ., Livermore (USA). Lawrence Livermore Lab.
DOE Contract Number:
W-7405-ENG-48
OSTI ID:
6099345
Report Number(s):
UCRL-52776
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English