Molecular dynamics insight into the evolution of AlH3 nanoparticles in the thermal decomposition of insensitive energetic materials

Journal of Materials Science volume 56, pages9209–9226(2021)Cite this article

Abstract

Adding AlH3 nanoparticles (AHNPs) into energetic materials has become a widely used strategy to enhance the efficiency of heat release. However, the underlying mechanisms in the reaction between AHNPs and energetic materials are poorly understood. The evolution of AHNPs in 2,2′,4,4′,6,6′-hexanitrodiphenyl ethylene (HNS) was simulated by reactive dynamic based on ReaxFF force field. As a whole, adding AHNPs unexceptionally increases heat release, and the particle size, passivation shell, and contents of AHNPs influence the morphological evolution and hydrogen release performance. AHNPs with smaller size can rapidly release hydrogen under the drastic micro-explosion. In addition, the aggregation mechanism of AHNPs is revealed at the earlier and later stages of the reaction. Al-O, Al-C, and Al-N bonds are generated during the reaction. A large amounts of H of AHNPs and C of HNS cause O to be desorbed from the Al-contained cluster. For the core–shell structure or/and larger size AHNPs, their oxidation process undergoes a transformation of H2–H2O in the gas cavity. Carbon clusters formed during the reaction depend on the distribution of Al. The addition of AHNPs could promote the graphitization of carbon clusters. This work is expected to deepen insight into the reaction mechanism of AHNPs-containing energetic materials with negative oxygen balance.

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Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of Soft Chemistry and Functional Materials of MOE, School of Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University of Science and Technology, Nanjing, 210094, People’s Republic of China

    Ying Zhao & Xue-Hai Ju

  2. Science and Technology On Combustion and Explosion Laboratory, Xian Modern Chemistry Research Institute, Xian, 710065, People’s Republic of China

    Feng-Qi Zhao & Si-Yu Xu

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  1. Ying Zhao
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  2. Feng-Qi Zhao
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  4. Xue-Hai Ju
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YZ designed and wrote this paper, FQZ reviewed and edited this paper, SYX wrote the important program for the data processing, and XHJ improved this paper.

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Correspondence to Xue-Hai Ju.

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Zhao, Y., Zhao, FQ., Xu, SY. et al. Molecular dynamics insight into the evolution of AlH3 nanoparticles in the thermal decomposition of insensitive energetic materials. J Mater Sci 56, 9209–9226 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10853-021-05819-z

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