Theoretical study of the decomposition mechanisms and kinetics of the ingredients RDX in composition B

J Mol Model. 2012 Aug;18(8):3915-26. doi: 10.1007/s00894-012-1396-1. Epub 2012 Mar 20.

Abstract

RDX as a component in composition B (TNT + RDX) was first studied by us on its mechanism and kinetics of decomposition reactions in this paper. We have pointed out three possible pathways and found a new low-energy process of its decomposition. The N-N bond cleavage in composition B has higher dissociation energies than the monomer, but it is also the initial step. The optimized structures and the frequencies of all the stationary points were calculated at the B3LYP/6-31G(d) level. The minimum-energy paths were obtained by using the intrinsic reaction coordinate (IRC) theory, and the reaction potential energy curve was corrected with zero-point energy. Finally, the rate constants were calculated in a wide temperature region from 200 to 2500 K using TST, TST/Eckart theories. The obtained results also indicate that the tunneling effects are remarkable at low temperature (200 K <T < 500 K).

MeSH terms

  • Computer Simulation
  • Explosive Agents / chemistry*
  • Kinetics
  • Models, Chemical
  • Models, Molecular
  • Nitrosamines / chemistry*
  • Quantum Theory
  • Thermodynamics
  • Trinitrotoluene / chemistry*

Substances

  • Explosive Agents
  • Nitrosamines
  • Trinitrotoluene
  • trinitrosotrimethylenetriamine