Preparation and Performances of Castable HTPB/CL‐20 Booster Explosives

Abstract

HTPB/CL‐20 castable booster explosives were prepared successfully by a cast‐cured process. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) and the charge density test were employed to characterize the molding effect of HTPB/CL‐20 explosives. The propagation reliability, detonation velocity, mechanical sensitivity, thermal decomposition characteristics and thermal stability of the HTPB/CL‐20 explosives were also measured and analyzed. The results show that, when CL‐20 content is less than 91 wt.‐%, the charges with better molding effect were obtained easily. The critical diameter of HTPB/CL‐20 explosives is less than 1 mm, which exhibits good propagation reliability. When the density of HTPB/CL‐20 charge with 91 wt.‐% CL‐20 is 1.73 g cm−3, its detonation velocity can reach 8273 m s−1. Moreover, this kind of explosives has low mechanical sensitivity and good thermal stability.

Study on Comparative Performance of CL‐20/RDX‐based CMDB Propellants

“…The effects of CL-20 and RDX on basic properties of CMDB propellants were investigated, the major findings could be summarized as follows: 1) The calculations on energetic properties for CL-20/RDX-CMDB propellants showed that energetic properties of propellant with CL-20 were superior to of propellant with RDX. 2) The data on burning rate revealed that with the increase of RDX/CL-20 mass fraction in the propellants, the burning rates at low pressure (2-8 MPa) remained almost the same but differ observably at high pressure (10)(11)(12)(13)(14)(15)(16)(17)(18)(19)(20)(21)(22). With the increase of CL-20 mass fraction in the propellants, the burning rates of propellants could be enhanced significantly, but the burning rates of propellants containing RDX decreased.…”

“…Joseph Kalman et al [17] investigated the effect of CL-20 particle size on the combustion of CL-20/HTPB propellants down to submicrometer sizes, the burning rate and combustion mechanism were discussed in detail. A large number of papers have been concerned with the combustion and energetic properties of HTPB and NEPE propellants [18][19][20][21][22][23][24]. However, there are very few publications on the effect of CL-20 particles on the combustion and energetic properties of composite modified double-base propellants (CMDB) [25][26][27], especially on its combustion residues properties.…”

Experimental Studies on Advanced Sheet Explosive Formulations Based on 2,4,6,8,10,12-Hexanitro-2,4,6,8,10,12-hexaazaisowurtzitane (CL-20) and Hydroxyl Terminated Polybutadiene (HTPB), and Comparison with a RDX-based System

“…Thus, polymers like thermoplastic elastomers (TPEs), such as copolymers of ethylene and vinyl acetate [ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) copolymers] and Estane have found application as binders in sheet explosive formulations [3,4]. Among the polymers, low molecular weight liquid poly-butadienes with terminal functional groups, like hydroxyl terminated polybutadiene (HTPB), have found wide application in the area of propellants and PBXs [5,6]. HTPB is a preferred choice due to its clean curing reactions, stable urethane linkages formed by isocyanate curing, and superior fuel content.…”

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Abstract:The present investigation reports the use of 2, 4,6,8,10,4,6,8,10, in sheet explosive formulations. In this study, hydroxyl terminated polybutadiene (HTPB) based sheet explosives were prepared incorporating the powerful explosive CL-20 as a partial replacement for hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazine(RDX).

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GAP/DNTF Based PBX Explosives: a Novel Formula Used in Small Sized Explosive Circuits

“…PBXs possess good safety performance, high mechanical strength and ease of molding and other significant advantages through making full use of the high energy output of the HEDC [4] and the excellent plasticity of polymer materials. XTX-8003, XTX-8004 and HTPB/CL-20 booster explosives [5][6][7] are three kinds of typical PBXs used in logic explosive circuits, which use pentaerythritol tetranitrate (PETN), 1,3,5-trinitroperhydro-1,3,5-triazine (RDX) and ε-2,4,6,8,10,12-hexanitro-2,4,6,8,10,12-hexaazaisowurtzitane (CL-20) as HEDCs. They all meet the specific requirements of explosive circuits when combined with the polymer materials.…”