Insensitive HMX (Octahydro-1,3,5,7-tetranitro-1,3,5,7-tetrazocine) Nanocrystals Fabricated by High-Yield, Low-Cost Mechanical Milling

A mechanical approach had been adopted for fabricating HMX nanoparticles. This fabrication method avoided the recrystallization process and was different from the traditional methods employed to prepare nanoexplosives. In particular, the high yield and low cost increased the possibility of its industrial application. Specifcally, HMX particles, that had a mean size of 0.27 μm, were prepared by mechanical milling; a signifcant proportion of nano-HMX (<100 nm) were present and these were observed by TEM and SEM images. The thermal decomposition of HMX samples before and after pulverization was investigated by TG/DSC analysis. The results indicated that there was no obvious difference between the thermographs of raw and pulverized HMX. The HMX samples were investigated by friction, impact, and shock sensitivity tests. High safety was confrmed since pulverized HMX was far more insensitive than raw HMX; indeed the shock sensitivity of pulverized HMX was about 60 percent lower than that of raw HMX.