Confocal scanning laser microscopic study of the RDX defect structure in deformed polymer-bonded explosives

The influence of an explosion-driven deformation on the defect structure in RDX crystals embedded in a polymer-bonded explosive was investigated by means of confocal scanning laser microscopy. The images were compared to the defect structure in the as-received RDX grades, embedded

Characterization of granular and polymer-embedded RDX grades: Floret tests

In an attempt to further contribute to the characterization of explosive compositions, small scale Floret tests were performed using four RDX grades, differing in product quality. A Floret test provides a measure – by indentation of a copper block – of detonation spreading or the initiability and shock wave divergence and is applied in...

Concomitant crystallization for in situ encapsulation of organic materials

Concomitant crystallization leads to process intensification through the synergistic combination of the partial processes of particle formation and encapsulation within a single process step. Both cooling and electrospray crystallization in multi-component solutions were used to create (sub-)micron sized particles of different crystalline...

On the reliability of sensitivity test methods for submicrometer-sized RDX and HMX particles

Submicrometer-sized RDX and HMX crystals were produced by electrospray crystallization and submicrometer-sized RDX crystals were produced by plasma-assisted crystallization. Impact and friction sensitivity tests and ballistic impact chamber tests were performed to determine the product sensitivity. Rather than reflecting the quality of the...

Microscopic characterization of defect structure in RDX crystals

Three batches of the commercial energetic material RDX, as received from various production locations and differing in sensitivity towards shock initiation, have been characterized with different microscopic techniques in order to visualize the defect content in these crystals. The RDX crystals are embedded in an epoxy matrix and cross-sectioned...

Nanoparticle generation by intensified solution crystallization using cold plasma

In this study, atmospheric pressure cold plasma (surface dielectric barrier discharge) was used as an alternative energy form to intensify solution crystallization and produce nano-sized organic crystals. Nano-sized particles can have beneficial product properties such as improved internal quality and dissolution rate, compared to conventionally...

Process intensification in crystallization: Submicron particle generation using alternative energy forms

Crystallization is one of the oldest separation and product formation techniques that continues to be in use today. Despite its long history, it only started to develop significantly in the past few decades. In this thesis, the application of Process Intensification in crystallization is investigated. Process Intensification is a set of often...

On the impact testing of cyclotrimethylene trinitramine crystals with different internal qualities

Impact testing of various cyclotrimethylene trinitramine (RDX) samples has been carried out with the Ballistic Impact Chamber (BIC). Numerical simulations have been performed to guide its experimental design and explain the phenomena that are observed in the measured pressure evolution. The experimental results obtained with the BIC are compared...

The influence of a solvent on the crystal morphology of RDX

A solvent can have a large influence on the crystal morphology. A molecular modeling technique based on the adsorption of solvent molecules on a crystal surface has been used to predict the influence of a solvent on the morphology of RDX. The predicted morphology has been compared with the experimentally found morphology of RDX crystallized from...

Extrusion trials with a TSK045 twin screw extruder (Poster presentation)

In 1994 a 45mm twin screw extruder was introduced at the Prins Maurits Laboratory of TNO for the processing of energetic materials. Initial safety experiments were carried out by using inert compositions with small amounts of different energetic components and micro encapsulated chemical sensors to simulate solventless extrusion processing.

Development and optimisation of the Fiber Optic Probe: a new optic method for measuring the shock velocity in energetic materials (Poster presentation)

Crystallisation of energetic materials: The effect on stability,sensitivity and processing properties

Resuits are presented from HNF and RDX ciystallisation experiments and the effect thereof on the properties of these materials. Control of the crystallisation process for HNF will improve the particle shape, the stability and the processability. Other parameters, like sensitivity, are much better reproducible and the control over the particle...