Study on Thermal Decomposition of Pentolites by modified vacuum stability apparatus and differential scanning calorimetry

✍ Scribed by Chen-Chia Huang; Ming-Der Ger; Sun-I Chen

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1992
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 545 KB
• Volume: 17
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0721-3115
• DOI: 10.1002/prep.19920170508

✦ Synopsis

Abstract

A modified manometric vacuum stability test (VST) apparatus as well as a differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) were used to study the decomposition of pentolites (mixtures of PETN and TNT). The former operated isothermally at three heating temperatures (100°.C 110°C and 120°C), the latter with a constant heating rate. Various compositions of pontolites were examined. For the VST tests, heating periods were 40 hours except for experiments in which resulting pressures were higher than 760 mmHg. Using the ideal gas law, the volume of gaseous products was calculated from the pressure readings. The evolved gas volume from pentolites tested at 100°C is about as large as that from either pure PETN or pure TNT. However, the gas volumes released from pentolites heated at 110°C and 120°C are apparently larger than those from either PETN or TNT alone. In particular, a mixture of PETN and TNT with a 1:1 weight ratio releases a maximum volume of gas products. It is found by DSC analyses that decompositions temperature of TNT decreases as mixed with PETN.