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Tailoring the sensitivity of initiating explosives

2017; American Institute of Physics; Volume: 1793; Linguagem: Inglês

10.1063/1.4971530

1935-0465

Virginia W. Manner, Daniel Preston, Christopher J. Snyder, Dana M. Dattelbaum, Bryce C. Tappan,

Combustion and Detonation Processes

Pentaerythritol tetranitrate (PETN) is a very common nitrate ester explosive that has been widely studied due to its use in military and commercial explosives. Recent experimental work and calculations have shown that substituting the central carbon atom of PETN with a silicon atom results in an extremely sensitive contact explosive. We have attempted to develop PETN derivatives which are less sensitive, by attaching hydrogen, amino, and methyl groups to the central carbon atom, and substituting the central carbon atom (and one -CH2ONO2 group) with phosphorous oxide. We relate the handling sensitivity properties of each PETN derivative to its structure, and discuss the role of the central atom, oxygen balance, thermal stability, and inter- and intramolecular hydrogen bonding on impact sensitivity.