(652a) 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.