HMX Re-crystallization And Characterization

Octogen(HMX) is one of the powerful high explosives used around the world today with it's high density, high energy, low sensitivity and excellent performance. It is widely used as a component of mix explosive, solid rocket and gun propellant. The utility performance of the mix explosive is great influenced by the characteristics of the based single crystals, and the crystals characteristics can be improved by re-crystallization process from the solutions. Therefore, it is importance to research the re-crystallization process of the explosive for engineer application.The different morphologies crystals of HMX were obtained from re-crystallizing with difference solvents such as acetonitrile(ACN), acetone(AC), butyrolacetone(BL), dimethyl sulfoxide(DMSO), cyclohexacetone(CH) and dimethyl formamile(DMF). The SEM pictures show that the solvents have great influence on the morphology of HMX Crystals: the grown crystals from the CH have a small needle shape. From BL solution HMX crystals were grown in a block glomerocryst with smooth surfaces. From DMSO, ACN and AC solution HMX crystals were grown in a regular shape with smooth surface. The twinned HMX crystals were formed from the DMSO-acetone mixture. The HMX crystals from the DMF solution are spherical, with cracks on the surface.The purity, crystal structure, density and thermal stability of the re-crystallization were analyzed. The XRD and HPLC analysis reveals that the crystals are β -HMX, and the purity has been improved by the re-crystallization process. The TG-DSC analysis reveals that the morphology of HMX has great effects...