In:
The Journal of Chemical Physics, AIP Publishing, Vol. 79, No. 9 ( 1983-11-01), p. 4271-4278
Abstract:
This paper reports an investigation of the slow decomposition and explosion of solid energetic materials using continuously recorded time-resolved mass spectrometry. Five compounds in powder form have been examined, namely dilead 5,5′-azobis tetrazolate dihydroxide (LAT), 2,4,6-trinitro-1,3-benzenediol, lead salt (or ‘‘lead styphnate’’ LS), 2-azido-1,3,5-trinitrobenzene (or ‘‘picryl azide’’ PA), and two arylidene tetrazol-5-y1 hydrazones (TzTNB). A quadrupole instrument interfaced with a video-recording system was used to obtain spectra scanned at 0.3 ms per amu. Ionization voltages selected were 70 V and 14–18 V to minimize fragmentation. Steady decomposition as well as intermittent explosions of individual particles have been studied. During both kinds of events stable and unstable intermediates were found. Among the unstable species some could not be detected during explosions, a phenomenon attributed either to their comparatively short lifetimes or differences between explosion and decomposition routes for certain compounds. Of those that could be recorded the one with the highest mass was C6H2NO (m/e=104) originating from TzTNB. There were, in addition, species that appeared only during explosion, e.g., N4C–N from LAT. The spectrometric results enabled us to construct reaction schemes which reflect structural similarities of the parent molecules. A notable example concerns the tetrazole (CN4) moiety, present in both the decomposition and explosion of LAT and TzTNB. Generally, for a given compound, these two types of events share the same mechanism, but with LS a different pathway predominates in each process. The breakdown sequences for decomposition have been confirmed by parallel experiments carried out in a conventional magnetic mass spectrometer, but those for explosion could only be deduced from time-resolved data.
Type of Medium:
Online Resource
ISSN:
0021-9606
,
1089-7690
Language:
English
Publisher:
AIP Publishing
Publication Date:
1983
detail.hit.zdb_id:
3113-6
detail.hit.zdb_id:
1473050-9
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