OPTICAL MICROSCOPY AND SMALL-ANGLE SCATTERING STUDY OF POROSITY IN THERMALLY TREATED PBX 9501
- Joseph T.
- Cary B.
- Rex P.
- Thomas P.
- Steven F.
Heat transfer and comlmstion properties of a high explosive (HE) are influenced by the HE microstructure. The development of voids and cracks in an HE system under the conditions of thermal loading can have a strong impact on the safety and reliability of a weapon system. The optical microscopy and small angle x-ray scattering (SAXS) techniques are useful tools for microstructural characterization. A combination of the tools allows lengthscales from hundreds of microns to tenths of nanometers to be probed, allowing a thorough description of a system's microstructure to be made. We present an optical microscopy and SAXS study of the effects of thermal loading on the microstructure of PBX 9501. Pressed pellets of PBX 9501, an HMX-based system, were heated in an oven at 180 'C for periods of 0, 15 and 30 minutes. Optical micrographs reveal the developmenit of large pores in the microstructure with increasing thermal treatment as well as increased cracking and morphological changes of crystal grains, associated with the beta to delta phase transition in HMX. SAXS measurements were performed in order to quantify the observed porosity,
- Research Organization:
- Los Alamos National Laboratory
- Sponsoring Organization:
- DOE
- OSTI ID:
- 975575
- Report Number(s):
- LA-UR-01-3379
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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