High-substitute nitrochitosan used as energetic materials: Preparation and detonation properties

Chuping Li; Hui Li; Kangzhen Xu

doi:10.1016/j.carbpol.2020.116176

High-substitute nitrochitosan used as energetic materials: Preparation and detonation properties

Carbohydr Polym. 2020 Jun 1:237:116176. doi: 10.1016/j.carbpol.2020.116176. Epub 2020 Mar 16.

Authors

Chuping Li¹, Hui Li², Kangzhen Xu³

Affiliations

¹ School of Chemical Engineering/Integrated Military-Civilian Innovation Center for Energetic Materials, Northwest University, Xi'an, 710069, China.
² Xi'an Modern Chemistry Research Institute, Xi'an, 710065, China.
³ School of Chemical Engineering/Integrated Military-Civilian Innovation Center for Energetic Materials, Northwest University, Xi'an, 710069, China. Electronic address: xukz@nwu.edu.cn.

PMID: 32241397
DOI: 10.1016/j.carbpol.2020.116176

Abstract

In order to develop new high-energy materials utilizing natural products, a high-substitute nitrochitosan was prepared with different methods. Prepared processes and detonation properties of the nitrochitosan samples were systematically studied. The nitration substitute degree, nitrogen content, exothermic decomposition enthalpy, heat of combustion, impact sensitivity, detonation velocity and detonation pressure of the prepared high-substitute nitrochitosan were 2.01, 16.67 %, -2226 J g^-1, -7831.6 ± 116.3 J g^-1, >14.2 J, 7.81 km s^-1, and 24.03 GPa, respectively. Compared with nitrocellulose (NC), the nitrogen content, impact sensitivity and detonation properties of the prepared nitrochitosan were significantly improved. Nitrochitosan and RDX can form a uniform composite in acetone. With the increase of RDX content, the impact sensitivity of composite increased, but the composite was more stable and not easy to decompose. High-substitute nitrochitosan presents a potential application in solid propellants.

Keywords: Detonation properties; Energetic materials; Nitrocellulose (NC); Nitrochitosan (NCh); Thermal behavior.