Microstructure, Mechanical and Detonation Properties of Elastomeric Micro/Ultrafine-rubber Modified TNT-based Molten Energetic Composites

Elastomeric micro- and ultrafine-rubber are first considered as binders in melt-cast explosives for improving the mechanical properties. Acrylonitrile-butadiene rubber (NBR), in ultrafine fully vulcanized form (UF-NBR), carboxylated acrylonitrile-butadiene rubber (CNBR), in ultrafine fully vulcanized form (UF-CNBR), styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR), in ultrafine fully vulcanized form (UF-SBR), carboxylated styrene-butadiene rubber (CSBR), in ultrafine fully vulcanized form (UF-CSBR), acrylic rubber (ACM), in ultrafine fully vulcanized form (UF-ACM), room temperature vulcanized silicone rubber (RTV), in ultrafine fully vulcanized form (UF-RTV) and polytetrafluoroethene (PTFE) in micro-rubber form (PTFE-M) were utilized for modifying 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) based melt-cast explosives. Based on their dispersity in TNT and RDX slurry, only UF-NBR, UF-CNBR and PTFE-M can be used. In the modification experiment, their influence on the mechanical and detonation performance of the matrixes were studied, as well as the impact sensitivity. Compared with PTFE-M and UF-CNBR, UF-NBR improved the tensile and compressive strength of the original formulation CYCLOTOL-65/35. The toughening mechanism was also explained through interfacial interactions and fracture energy analysis. The predicted detonation properties of the modified formulations (detonation pressure variations from 26 to 28 GPa, detonation velocity variations from 7900 to 8100 m/s) are at the same energy level as CYCLOTOL-65/35. In addition, the drop hammer impact testing results confirm that the formulation containing UF-NBR is more sensitive than the one with UF-CNBR, with the same amount of additive.