The impact of metastable intermolrecular nanocomposite particles on kinetic decomposition of heterocyclic nitramines using advanced solid-phase decomposition models

Abstract Oxygen atoms on the surface of oxide catalysts have low coordination number; they are negatively charged. Surface oxygen can act active sites for decomposition of energetic nitramines (i.e. HMX); additionally hydrous surface can release active ȮH radicals. Colloidal oxide particles can fulfil these requirements. Furthermore oxide particles can induce thermite reaction with aluminium particles. This study reports on the facile fabrication of colloidal ferric oxide particles of 5 nm; Colloidal Fe2O3/Al binary mixture was integrated into HMX matrix via co-precipitation technique; uniform dispersion of nanothermite particles was verified using SEM. Naonothermite particles experienced dramatic change in HMX thermal behaviour with an increase in total heat release by 63 %. The impact of themrite particles on HMX kinetic decomposition was evaluated using an integral isoconversional method of KAS, and Kissinger models. The mean value of apparent activation was reduced by 23.5 % and 24.3 % using Kissinger and KAS models respectively. This dramatic change in HMX decomposition can be ascribed to the ferric oxide reactivity and the facile integration of colloidal thermite particles.