Considering the need for accurate vaporization rates in the propellant combustion models, sublimation and vaporization rates of cyclotrimethylenetrinitramine (RDX) have been estimated over a wide range of temperatures. Simultaneous thermal analysis was carried at various slow heating rates, 5, 10, and 15°C/min, using a coupled TGA/DSC-FTIR system. In the solid phase, the mass loss occurs mainly due to the sublimation of RDX, whereas, in the liquid phase, both vaporization and thermal decomposition play a significant role. The extent of thermal decomposition was estimated using a computational model based on a recently developed detailed liquid-phase decomposition mechanism for RDX. For each of the heating rates, a suitable match between computational and experimental mass loss and species evolution profiles was achieved. As evident from the FTIR data, a major part of the mass loss occurs because of the evolution of decomposition products, such as N 2 O , CH 2 O , NO 2 , NO, HCN, H 2 O , CO, and CO 2 . Results show that vaporization accounts for 29.6, 34, and 35.9% of the total mass loss for the 5, 10, and 15°C/min heating rates, respectively. Relatively more RDX vaporizes at higher heating rates because of the initiation of the boiling phenomenon at higher sample temperatures.


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    Title :

    Comparative Analysis of Vaporization and Thermal Decomposition of Cyclotrimethylenetrinitramine (RDX)


    Contributors:

    Published in:

    Publication date :

    2019-08-30


    Size :

    10 pages




    Type of media :

    Article (Journal)


    Type of material :

    Electronic Resource


    Language :

    English