Chemical stability of molten 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene at high pressure

Journal Article · Mon Jan 13 00:00:00 EST 2014 · Applied Physics Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4860395· OSTI ID:22275834

Chellappa, Raja S.; Bowden, Patrick R. ^[1]; Coe, Joshua D.; Margevicius, Madeline A. ^[2]

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1. Shock and Detonation Physics, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545 (United States)
2. Theoretical Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545 (United States)

2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) is a molecular explosive that exhibits chemical stability in the molten phase at ambient pressure. A combination of visual, spectroscopic, and structural (x-ray diffraction) methods coupled to high pressure, resistively heated diamond anvil cells was used to determine the melt and decomposition boundaries to >15 GPa. The chemical stability of molten TNT was found to be limited, existing in a small domain of pressure-temperature conditions below 2 GPa. Decomposition dominates the phase diagram at high temperatures beyond 6 GPa. From the calculated bulk temperature rise, we conclude that it is unlikely that TNT melts on its principal Hugoniot.

• OSTI ID: 22275834
• Journal Information: Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 104, Issue 2; Other Information: (c) 2014 AIP Publishing LLC; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0003-6951
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
DECOMPOSITION
DIAMONDS
PHASE DIAGRAMS
PRESSURE RANGE MEGA PA 10-100
STABILITY
TNT
X-RAY DIFFRACTION