Nanostructured Energetic Materials for Insensitive Munitions

Nanostructured Energetic Materials for Insensitive Munitions

Victor Stepanov¹, Hongwei Qiu² and Ashok Surapaneni¹

¹US Army, RDECOM-ARDEC, Munitions Engineering Technology Center,

Picatinny Arsenal, NJ 07806, USA

²Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Stevens Institute of Technology

Hoboken, NJ 07030, USA

ABSTRACT

Nanostructured energetic materials are gaining attention due to their favorable sensitivity and performance characteristics. We have previously shown that nanocrystalline RDX-based compositions prepared by rapid expansion of supercritical solutions (RESS) exhibited markedly reduced sensitivity to shock and impact stimuli. In this paper we describe a spray drying technology developed for simple, safe, and effective production of a wide range of nanocomposite energetics. The process combines crystallization and coating into a single step operation. The materials we investigated include cyclotrimethylene trinitramine (RDX) and hexanitrohexaazaisowurtzitane (CL-20). The process typically yields micron sized (1-20 mm) nanostructured granules consisting of discrete nanocrystals uniformly dispersed in a polymeric binder. Here we present the results of structural characterization and initiation sensitivity analysis of these new materials.

Figure 1. RDX/polyvinyl acetate nanocomposite granules prepared by spray drying.