Supercritical Antisolvent Processing of Nitrocellulose: Downscaling to Nanosize, Reducing Friction Sensitivity and Introducing Burning Rate Catalyst

Abstract

A supercritical antisolvent process has been applied to obtain the nitrocellulose nanoparticles with an average size of 190 nm from the nitrocellulose fibers of 20 μm in diameter. Compared to the micron-sized powder, nano-nitrocellulose is characterized with a slightly lower decomposition onset, however, the friction sensitivity has been improved substantially along with the burning rate increasing from 3.8 to 4.7 mm·s−1 at 2 MPa. Also, the proposed approach allows the production of stable nitrocellulose composites. Thus, the addition of 1 wt.% carbon nanotubes further improves the sensitivity of the nano-nitrocellulose up to the friction-insensitive level. Moreover, the simultaneous introduction of carbon nanotubes and nanosized iron oxide catalyzes the combustion process evidenced by a high-speed filming and resulting in the 20% burning rate increasing at 12 MPa. The presented approach to the processing of energetic nanomaterials based on the supercritical fluid technology opens the way to the production of nitrocellulose-based nanopowders with improved performance.

Valorization of Esparto Grass Cellulosic Derivatives for the Development of Promising Energetic Azidodeoxy Biopolymers: Synthesis, Characterization and Isoconversional Thermal Kinetic Analysis

“…Some small bundles of aggregates were also noticed for EGMCC and AEGMCC, which are assigned to the strong inter-and intramolecular hydrogen interactions between free OH functions [59,60]. Besides that, similar findings of the influence of chemical functionalization on the surface topography of cellulosic precursors are already reported in previous studies [19,27,61].…”

“…Therefore, further research investigations need to be conducted to fill current gaps through physical and chemical modifications of pristine cellulosic fibres to pave the way towards the next generation of cellulose-based energetic polymers with advantageous features for advanced insensitive and high-energy dense formulations. In this framework, many recent studies have provided that reducing the amorphous parts and particle dimensions of the common nitrocellulose or its precursor is an efficient approach to produce promising micro-and nano-sized nitrocellulose with improved physical stability and energetic performances [19][20][21][22]. On the other hand, the significant achievements in the chemical surface modification of cellulosic biopolymers have helped researchers to design advanced cellulosic derivatives [23][24][25].…”

Nanometer Ammonium Perchlorate and Ammonium Nitrate Prepared with 2D Network Structure via Rapid Freezing Technology

“…This is because AN itself is a very insensitive, energetic material. Of course, these results are not consistent with the results reported by Luo or Dobrynin [31,32]. In Luo’s work, the addition of nano LLM-105 was beneficial as it decreased the impact sensitivity of NC/GAP (nitrocellulose/glycidyl azide polymer) fibers, and in Dobrynin’s work nano NC presented lower friction sensitivity than micron NC.…”

Synthesis, Characterization, and Thermal Decomposition Kinetics of Nitrogen-Rich Energetic Biopolymers from Aminated Giant Reed Cellulosic Fibers

“…3,22 In another interesting study published recently by Dobrynin et al, a novel nanonitrocellulose with attractive combustion performance and reduced mechanical sensitivities has been synthesized through structural modification of nitrated cellulose fibers using a supercritical antisolvent process. 30 On the other hand, investigation of surface-modified cellulosic materials has attracted tremendous attention in recent years to generate powerful bio-based products with fascinating properties and outstanding synergetic effects, which provided several research opportunities within multiple disciplinary topics. 31−33 In this context, the surface decoration of cellulosic precursors with aliphatic aminoalkyl moieties especially ethylenediamine (EDA) has currently received great interest from the scientific community to achieve new cellulosic materials with specific qualities for prominent use in diverse fields.…”