Synthesis of three novel laurylamine-derived long-chain alkyl bonding agents and their interactions with RDX

Three novel long-chain alkyl bonding agents including 1,1′- dodecylimino-bis[3-[bis(2-hydroxyethyl)amino]-2-propanol (DHAP), 1-acetyl-5-dodecyl-octahydro-1,5-diazocine-3,7-diol (ADODD) and 1,3-bis(dodecylimino)-5,5-dimethyl-2,4-imidazolidinedione (DDID) were synthesized by modification of laurylamine. Interaction energies between bonding agents and RDX were calculated and compared using the molecular dynamics method. Effects of coating by different bonding agents on characteristic absorption peaks of RDX were analyzed by micro-infrared spectroscopy. The adhesion degrees of different bonding agents on the surface of RDX solid particles were calculated by XPS methods. The three prepared bonding agents were added to the HTPB/RDX/Al propellant and their effects on σ, ε _m, ε _b and Ω (the adhesion index between filling particles and binder matrix) value of propellant were studied. Simulation and experimental results showed that those three types of long-chain alkyl bonding agents exhibit a strong interaction with RDX, with highest interaction potencial observed for DHAP, followed by DDID and ADODD. In addition, the current study demonstrated that results obtained by molecular dynamics simulation were in very good agreement with the experimental data.