Investigation into the Temperature Adaptability of HNIW-based PBXs

2,4,6,8,10,12-Hexanitro-2,4,6,8,10,12-hexaazaisowurtzitane (HNIW) based polymer bonded explosives (PBXs) were prepared through an aqueous suspension method using cellulose acetate butyrate (CAB) or fluorine rubber F ₂₃₁₁ as a binder. Then the variation rules of size, mass, surface micro-topography, mechanical properties, thermal decomposition performance and mechanical sensitivity of the samples were investigated experimentally before and after high temperature (HT), low temperature (LT), high temperature cycle (HTC) and temperature shock (TS) tests, respectively. The results showed that the PBX columns, with the change rates of size and mass less than 1 %, were still at an acceptable level after temperature adaptability tests, and that the surface unevenness of the PBX samples followed the descending order of HT>HTC>LT>TS, which was in a good agreement with the order of mass loss. Moreover, the stability of the samples might be decreased by temperature adaptability tests, among which TS had the largest effect on both HNIW/CAB and HNIW/F ₂₃₁₁ . And a correlation between mechanical sensitivity and mechanical properties was found out through that the mechanical sensitivity of the PBXs stayed almost unchanged with a slight increase in the tensile strength of the columns after HTC whereas at least one sensitivity was increased markedly with the decline of the tensile strength after HT, LT or TS.