NTO FOR INSENSITIVE
COMPOSITIONS
G. ECK, C. SONGY, L. MINGUET
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NTO FOR INSENTITIVE COMPOSITIONS
• Introduction
• NTO based compositions for pressed application
• NTO based compositions for melt cast application
• Conclusion
2012 Insensitive Munitions & Energetic Materials Technology Symposium May 14-17, 2012
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NTO FOR INSENTITIVE COMPOSITIONS
2012 Insensitive Munitions & Energetic Materials Technology Symposium May 14-17, 2012
INTRODUCTION
CAST CURED COMPOSITIONS
• Intrinsic reduced sensitivity
• Ease of access to complex geometry
• Good mechanical properties
• Wide usable thermal operational range
Reduction of sensitivity
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NTO FOR INSENTITIVE COMPOSITIONS
2012 Insensitive Munitions & Energetic Materials Technology Symposium May 14-17, 2012
INTRODUCTION
CAST CURED COMPOSITIONS
PRESSED COMPOSITIONS MELT CAST COMPOSITIONS
Reduction of sensitivity
Explosive
Composition
Ammunition (Design , venting…)
Packaging
Storage
Source MSIAC
NTO FOR INSENTITIVE COMPOSITIONS
5 2012 Insensitive Munitions & Energetic Materials Technology Symposium May 14-17, 2012
INTRODUCTION
Insensitive Munitions (IM) are to be considered as a whole
• GUDN or FOX 12
• DADNE or FOX 7
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NTO FOR INSENTITIVE COMPOSITIONS
2012 Insensitive Munitions & Energetic Materials Technology Symposium May 14-17, 2012
INTRODUCTION
• TATB
• NTO
Insensitive compositions may be based on :
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NTO FOR INSENTITIVE COMPOSITIONS
• Introduction
• NTO based compositions for pressed application
• NTO based compositions for melt cast application
• Conclusion
2012 Insensitive Munitions & Energetic Materials Technology Symposium May 14-17, 2012
8
NTO FOR INSENTITIVE COMPOSITIONS
2012 Insensitive Munitions & Energetic Materials Technology Symposium May 14-17, 2012
PRESSED APPLICATION Strategy
PRODUCTION OF NTO BASED COMPOSITIONS
FIRST CHARACTERIZATIONS Safety, performance, behaviour towards shock, functional
CHOICE OF A COMPOSITION To be fully characterized
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NTO FOR INSENTITIVE COMPOSITIONS
2012 Insensitive Munitions & Energetic Materials Technology Symposium May 14-17, 2012
PRESSED APPLICATION Production of compositions
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
A3 RDX0 RDX20 RDX30 RDX50 RDX65
Binder
RDX
NTO
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NTO FOR INSENTITIVE COMPOSITIONS
2012 Insensitive Munitions & Energetic Materials Technology Symposium May 14-17, 2012
PRESSED APPLICATION Performance
DETONATION VELOCITY
CRITICAL DIAMETER
8050
8100
8150
8200
8250
8300
8350
8400
8450
8500
8550
8600
A3 RDX0 RDX20 RDX30 RDX50 RDX65
2.2
Critical diameter (mm)
A3
RDX0
RDX20
RDX30
RDX50
RDX65
> 20
5-7
< 5
< 5
< 5
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NTO FOR INSENTITIVE COMPOSITIONS
2012 Insensitive Munitions & Energetic Materials Technology Symposium May 14-17, 2012
PRESSED APPLICATION Behaviour towards shock SSWGT
DETONATING
CORDWITNESS PLATE
PAPER SHEET
ACCEPTOR
CHARGE
WATER
GAP
PLEXIGLAS
TUBE “B”
ELECTRIC
DETONATOR
POLYETHYLENE
SHEET
DONOR
CHARGE
PLEXIGLAS
TUBE “A”
25mm
40 MM
125 MM
≈ 20
SSWGT (mm)
A3
RDX0
RDX20
RDX30
RDX50
RDX65
No go
14
16
18
19
0
5
10
15
20
25
A3 RDX20 RDX30 RDX50 RDX65
mm
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NTO FOR INSENTITIVE COMPOSITIONS
2012 Insensitive Munitions & Energetic Materials Technology Symposium May 14-17, 2012
PRESSED APPLICATION Mechanical properties
7.0
Stress (MPa)
A3
RDX20
RDX30
RDX50
RDX65
8.6
7.9
7.3
6.5
6.0
Strain (%)
5.2
6.9
6.6
6.3
The mechanical properties are
comparable
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NTO FOR INSENTITIVE COMPOSITIONS
2012 Insensitive Munitions & Energetic Materials Technology Symposium May 14-17, 2012
PRESSED APPLICATION Mechanical properties
Compressibility of RDX20
• Max density : 1.84
• % TMD : 98
1,77
1,78
1,79
1,8
1,81
1,82
1,83
1,84
1,85
0 500 1000 1500 2000 2500 3000 3500
Pressure (Bar)
Den
sit
y
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NTO FOR INSENTITIVE COMPOSITIONS
2012 Insensitive Munitions & Energetic Materials Technology Symposium May 14-17, 2012
PRESSED APPLICATION Conclusion
RDX20 = The best compromise between insensitiveness and performance
2.2
Composition A3
Critical diameter (mm)
Detonation velocity (m/s.)
PCJ (GPa)
SSWGT
Stress (MPa) Strain (%)
P16945 = RDX20
8470
29.9
≈ 20
7.0
6.0
5-7
8350
29.7
14
8.6
5.2
EURENCO COMPOSITION P16945
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NTO FOR INSENTITIVE COMPOSITIONS
• Introduction
• NTO based compositions for pressed application
• NTO based compositions for melt cast application
• Conclusion
2012 Insensitive Munitions & Energetic Materials Technology Symposium May 14-17, 2012
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NTO FOR INSENTITIVE COMPOSITIONS
2012 Insensitive Munitions & Energetic Materials Technology Symposium May 14-17, 2012
MELT CAST APPLICATION Introduction
NTO BASED MELT CAST COMPOSITIONS
NON ALUMINIZED COMPOSITIONS
ALUMINIZED COMPOSITIONS
1.654
Density
NTO/TNT 50/50
NTO/TNT 60/40
NTO/TNT 65/35
1.78
1.80
7370
Detonation Velocity (m/s)
7427
7810
1.71
Density
AFX 644
XF 13333 1.754
6820
Detonation Velocity (m/s)
7150
Viscosity problem with high NTO contents
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NTO FOR INSENTITIVE COMPOSITIONS
2012 Insensitive Munitions & Energetic Materials Technology Symposium May 14-17, 2012
STANDARD NTO
MELT CAST APPLICATION High quality grade of NTO
• Crystallized NTO : Coarse
• Air milled NTO : Fine
HIGH QUALITY GRADE NTO
• Crystallized according to a controlled crystallization process
• Bulk density and morphology fully controled from the pilot scale to the industrial scale
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NTO FOR INSENTITIVE COMPOSITIONS
2012 Insensitive Munitions & Energetic Materials Technology Symposium May 14-17, 2012
MELT CAST APPLICATION High quality grade of NTO BULK DENSITY
870
880
890
900
910
920
930
940
950
960
970
Pilot scale • Average : 934 kg/m3
• Standard deviation : 17
Industrial scale • Average : 935 kg/m3
• Standard deviation : 18
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NTO FOR INSENTITIVE COMPOSITIONS
2012 Insensitive Munitions & Energetic Materials Technology Symposium May 14-17, 2012
MELT CAST APPLICATION High quality grade of NTO
MORPHOLOGY
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NTO FOR INSENTITIVE COMPOSITIONS
2012 Insensitive Munitions & Energetic Materials Technology Symposium May 14-17, 2012
MELT CAST APPLICATION Use of NTO CF in Ontalite 65/35
5
55
105
155
205
255
305
15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55
Fine NTO content (% by weight)
Vis
co
sit
y (
s.)
• Viscosity is very dependant on the ratio between the coarse and fine fraction
• Best ratio Coarse/fine = 65/35
Coarse : NTO CF
Fine NTO : Class 3
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NTO FOR INSENTITIVE COMPOSITIONS
2012 Insensitive Munitions & Energetic Materials Technology Symposium May 14-17, 2012
MELT CAST APPLICATION Use of NTO CF in Ontalite 65/35
• If NTO CF is replaced by Standard NTO, the viscosity is more than twice higher
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
30 32 34 36 38 40 42 44
Fine NTO content (% by weight)
Vis
co
sit
y (
s.)
Standard NTO
NTO CF
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NTO FOR INSENTITIVE COMPOSITIONS
2012 Insensitive Munitions & Energetic Materials Technology Symposium May 14-17, 2012
MELT CAST APPLICATION Use of NTO CF in aluminized Ontalite
Efflux viscosity measurement on aluminized Ontalite NTO/TNT/Al/Wax : 40/30/20/10
Comparison of results obtained with standard NTO and NTO CF
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NTO FOR INSENTITIVE COMPOSITIONS
2012 Insensitive Munitions & Energetic Materials Technology Symposium May 14-17, 2012
MELT CAST APPLICATION Use of NTO CF in aluminized Ontalite
Standard NTO NTO CF
0
5
10
15
20
25
Vis
co
sit
y (
s.)
Coarse grade 100%
Coarse/fine 70/30
NTO CF 100%
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NTO FOR INSENTITIVE COMPOSITIONS
2012 Insensitive Munitions & Energetic Materials Technology Symposium May 14-17, 2012
MELT CAST APPLICATION Use of NTO CF in aluminized Ontalite
Standard NTO NTO CF
0
5
10
15
20
25
Vis
co
sit
y (
s.)
Co
ars
e g
rad
e 1
00
%
Co
ars
e/fi
ne
70
/3
0
NTO CF produced at
Lab scale
Pilot scale
Industrial scale
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NTO FOR INSENTITIVE COMPOSITIONS
2012 Insensitive Munitions & Energetic Materials Technology Symposium May 14-17, 2012
MELT CAST APPLICATION Conclusion
EURENCO produces a new high grade of NTO, NTO CF
NTO CF has been proved to be suitable for melt cast application as well as for compositions based on NTO and TNT or compositions based on NTO, TNT and aluminum
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NTO FOR INSENTITIVE COMPOSITIONS
• Introduction
• NTO based compositions for pressed application
• NTO based compositions for melt cast application
• Conclusion
2012 Insensitive Munitions & Energetic Materials Technology Symposium May 14-17, 2012
• High bulk density NTO
• Control morphology of NTO
• Significant improvement of the viscosity of Ontalite
• Suitable as well as for aluminized or non aluminized Ontalites
• Based on NTO, RDX and a binder
• Best compromise between insensitiveness and performance
• Performance equivalent to composition A3
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NTO FOR INSENTITIVE COMPOSITIONS
2012 Insensitive Munitions & Energetic Materials Technology Symposium May 14-17, 2012
GENERAL CONCLUSION
PRESSED APPLICATION MELT CAST APPLICATION
COMPOSITION P 16945 NTO CF a new high grade of NTO
O2N
H
C
N
C
NN
H
O
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NTO FOR INSENTITIVE COMPOSITIONS
2012 Insensitive Munitions & Energetic Materials Technology Symposium May 14-17, 2012
A special thank for their contribution to :
• C. SONGY and L. MINGUET who coauthored this work
• D. LEGEAY and his team
• S. MOREAU and S. POUDENX for the industrial scale
A MEMBER OF