Preparation of explosive/porous aluminum and its detonation property

Porous aluminum is a new kind of functional material that is composed of a metal matrix and air holes. Under a negative vacuum pressure, trinitrotoluene (TNT) was filled into the pores and then condensed via adjusting the temperature gradient yielding the complex (TNT@ porous Al). By changing the ratio of porous Al to TNT, we can change the charge density of the composite. The morphology, cross section scan, porosity, and thermal decomposition of products were characterized by computerized tomography (micro CT), mercury injection apparatus and thermogravimetric analysis (TG). The results show that the porosity of porous metal decrease after TNT is imprinted into the metal matrix. With the smaller pore size porous Al showing the biggest decline in porosity from 86% to 8.6%. Thermal analysis indicating the peak temperature of the compound is approximately 250 °C, which is lower 20 °C than the maximum loss weight peak of TNT. The detonation properties of porous Al@TNT were compared to TNT by means of explosion track test showing that its explosive energy was lower than TNT.