Self-Remediating Energetic Fills Based on Cyclic Dinitroureas

• Main Authors: Chapman,Robert, Young,Kenny, Baldwin,Lawrence, Quintana,Roxanne L, Nelson,Andrew, Hoang,Hung, Carter,Joshua, Merritt,Anna
• Format: Report
• Language: English
• Subjects: Ammunition and Explosives; anhydrides; composite materials; cyclic dinitroureas; energetic materials; Explosions; explosive charges; explosives; Hydrolyzable explosives; materials testing; munitions; nuclear magnetic resonance; physical properties; plastic bonded explosives; RDX; TNGU; UNEXPLODED AMMUNITION

(U//FOUO)Unexploded ordnance (UXO) resulting from munitions failures creates significant safety and environmental hazards. Smaller munitions, such as BLU-97 bomblets, are notorious for their tendency to dud (Pellerin, 2006). A typical submunition fill, such as PBXN-107, uses cyclotrimethylenetrinitramine (RDX) in an acrylate binder as the main explosive component. RDX is persistent in the environment and is prevalent on and near Department of Defense (DoD) training ranges (Pennington et al., 2006; Jenkins et al., 2006). The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has issued a drinking water guideline limit for RDX of 2 g/L. As a potential solution to the persistent environmental problems of UXO, cyclic N,N-dinitrourea derivatives may provide an attractive replacement for currently used energetics like RDX. Many cyclic N,N-dinitrourea derivatives have similar explosive performance parameters to RDX but are more hydrolytically reactive. The objective of this project was to develop and characterize an energetic fill formulation incorporating cyclic N,N-dinitrourea derivatives as a replacement for currently used energetics like cyclotrimethylenetrinitramine (RDX). This energetic fill would readily decompose into benign products when exposed to moisture (i.e., high humidity or precipitation).Three cyclic N,N-dinitrourea derivatives were investigated for use in self-remediating energetic fills; tetranitroglycoluril (TNGU), hexanitrohexaazatricyclododecanedione (HHTDD), and 2,4,8,10-tetranitro-2,4,8,10-tetraazaspiro[5.5]undecane-3,9-dione (TNSUK). TNGU was chosen for scale-up because of its straightforward synthesis, rapid degradation under humid conditions, relative stability in dry conditions, and explosive performance greater than RDX (detonation pressure and detonation velocity.