Bioinspired coating on graphene to improve the thermal conductivity of HMX

Due to the inherently low thermal conductivity of both explosives and binders, polymer-bonded explosives (PBXs) generally exhibit poor thermal conductivity. As a result, during external temperature fluctuations, internal temperature gradients and thermal stresses are prone to develop, thereby increasing the risk of structural damage. In this study, a bioinspired composite thermal conductive layer was facilely fabricated by in situ polymerizing phase-transitioned lysozyme (PTL) on the surface of graphene (Gr), forming a Gr@PTL composite layer. Subsequently, the Gr@PTL composite was incorporated into PBX system to enhance its thermal performance. The successful coating of PTL onto the graphene nanosheets was verified through characterization methods including SEM and XPS. Thermal analyses revealed that the composite thermal conductive layer not only improved the thermal stability but also increased the thermal diffusivity of the PBX by 52.94% and its thermal conductivity by 44.44%. Furthermore, the composite layer effectively reduced the sensitivity of energetic crystals. Consequently, the proposed biomimetic composite thermal conductive layer offers a novel strategy for enhancing the operational safety of energetic materials and the thermal performance of PBXs.