Thermal stability and sensitivity of RDX-based aluminized explosives: Difference between the initial and complete thermal decompositions

The thermal decomposition characteristics and thermal sensitivity are key indicators for reflecting the thermal stability of explosives in storage and application. The thermal decompositions in different degrees are used to determine the dominant factor which controls the thermal stability of composite explosive. Four kinds of RDX-based aluminized explosives are marked as RA1, RA2, RA3, and RA4 with the Al content increasing from 10 to 40 mass%. The initial thermal decomposition behaviors were studied by DPTA and the complete thermal decompositions were studied by DSC and TG. The thermal sensitivities were characterized by 5-s explosion point. The effects of micron-sized Al particles and their contents on thermal decomposition were investigated. The evolved gas amount (V _i) from DPTA test follows RA3 < RA4 < RA2 < RA1, indicating that RA3 has the best thermal stability at ambient storage conditions. However, according to TG and DSC tests, the characteristic temperatures of thermal decomposition (T _p, T _b, and T _SADT), the thermodynamic parameters (ΔH _e, ΔS ^≠, and ΔH ^≠), the kinetic parameters (E _a and A), and the 5-s explosion points all follow RA4 < RA3 < RA2 < RA1. The results indicate that the Al particles play different roles in the different degrees of thermal decomposition. In the initial decomposition, the Al particles have not been activated and are considered as inert materials that hinder the decomposition of explosive. In the complete decomposition, the Al particles catalyze the thermal decomposition, and such catalysis becomes more obvious as the Al content increases to a certain degree.