Radiation Stability of the Nitrate Ester Energetic Functional Group
ORAL
Abstract
High explosives (HE) are used in a variety of applications that require them to be stable under a wide range of harsh environments, and understanding how HE is altered by ionizing radiation is of particular importance. This talk will focus on the radiolytic degradation of the nitrate ester (-ONO2) functional group (FG) which is the energetic FG responsible for the explosive properties of the commonly used pentaerythritol tetranitrate (PETN). Trace chemical analyses using proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H-NMR) and ultra high pressure liquid chromatography (UHPLC) were completed on control and γ-irradiated materials containing nitrate esters to assess chemical changes brought about by the ionizing radiation. Results indicate that the nitrate ester FG is the predominantly affected part of the molecule, and the most probable degradation pathway involves the cleavage of the trigger linkage (O-NO2). These results were found to be insufficient to explain changes in small scale sensitivity tests seen by other researchers, and thus other radiolytic changes to the materials will be discussed.
*This work was supported by the U.S. Department of Energy through Los Alamos National Laboratory. Los Alamos National Laboratory is operated by Triad National Security, LLC, for the National Nuclear Security Administration of U.S. Department of Energy (Contract No. 89233218CNA000001). The authors would like to thank the LANL Aging and Lifetimes Program for funding. This contribution is LA-UR-22-21667 from Los Alamos National Laboratory.
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Publication: ACS Omega 2022, 7, 3, 2842–2849
Presenters
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Patricia L Huestis
- Los Alamos National Laboratory