Reduced sensitivity melt-cast explosives

Abstract

A melt-cast explosive which shares comparable explosive properties to those of COMP B explosives and is melt-pourable and castable under conditions comparable to those of COMP B explosives, but experiences less impact, shock, and thermal sensitivity and avoids the issues of toxicity associated with COMP B. A fundamental and well-accepted component of COMP B, i.e., trinitrotoluene (TNT), is replaced with one or more mononitro-substituted or dinitro-substituted melt-cast binders, such as dinitroanisole, which can be melt-cast without presenting the toxicity drawbacks experienced with the use of TNT. The melt-cast binder can also be combined with a processing aid selected from the group consisting of alkylnitroanilines and arylnitroanilines. Preferably, the composition also includes coarse oxidizer particles and energetic filler in fine particulate form.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A melt-cast explosive composition comprising: 
 at least one binder comprising at least one member selected from the group consisting of mononitro-substituted arenes and dinitro-substituted arenes;    at least one processing aid comprising at least one member selected from the group consisting of N-alkylnitroanilines and N-arylnitroanilines, the at least one processing aid and the at least one binder forming a mixture having a melting temperature in a range of from about 80° C. to about 110° C.;    oxidizer particles having particle diameters in a range of from about 20 μm to about 600 μm; and    at least one energetic filler having particles sizes in a range of from about 2 μm to about 10 μm,    wherein the melt-cast explosive composition is melt-pourable at at least one temperature in the range of from about 80° C. to about 110° C.    
     
     
         2 . The melt-cast explosive composition of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one binder comprises at least one member selected from the group consisting of nitrotoluenes, dinitrotoluenes, and dinitronaphthalenes.  
     
     
         3 . The melt-cast explosive composition of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one binder is further substituted and comprises at least one member selected from the group consisting of nitrophenols, dinitrophenols, mononitroanilines, and dinitroanilines.  
     
     
         4 . The melt-cast explosive composition of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one energetic filler comprises at least one member selected from the group consisting of 1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triaza-cyclohexane (RDX), 1,3,5,7-tetranitro-1,3,5,7-tetraazacyclooctane (HMX), 2,4,6,8,10,12-hexanitro-2,4,6,8,10,12-hexaazatetracyclo[5.5.0.0 5,9 0 3,11 ]dodecane (HNIW), 4,10-dinitro-2,6,8,12-tetraoxa-4,10-diazatetracyclo[5.5.0.0 5,9 0 3,11 ]dodecane (TEX), nitroguanidine (NQ), 1,3,5-triamino-2,4,6-trinitrobenzene (TATB), 1,1-diamino-2,2-dinitroethane (DADNE), 1,3,3-trinitroazetidine (TNAZ), and 3-nitro-1,2,4-triazol-5-one (NTO).  
     
     
         5 . The melt-cast explosive composition of  claim 1 , wherein the oxidizer particles comprise at least one member selected from the group consisting of inorganic perchlorates and inorganic nitrates.  
     
     
         6 . The melt-cast explosive composition of  claim 5 , wherein the at least one energetic filler comprises 1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazacyclohexane (RDX).  
     
     
         7 . The melt-cast explosive composition of  claim 6 , wherein the at least one processing aid comprises at least one N-alkyl-nitroaniline.  
     
     
         8 . The melt-cast explosive composition of  claim 6 , wherein the at least one processing aid comprises N-methyl-nitroaniline.  
     
     
         9 . A melt-cast explosive composition comprising: 
 at least one binder comprising at least one member selected from the group consisting of mononitro-substituted arenes and dinitro-substituted arenes, the at least one binder being free of —NH 2  functionalities;    at least one processing aid comprising at least one member selected from the group consisting of N-alkylnitroanilines and N-arylnitroanilines, the at least one processing aid is different than the at least one binder and combines with the at least one binder to form a mixture having a melting temperature in a range of from about 80° C. to about 110° C.;    oxidizer particles having particle diameters in a range of from about 20 μm to about 600 μm; and at least one energetic filler having particle sizes in a range of from about 2 μm to about 10 μm, wherein the melt-cast explosive composition is melt-pourable at at least one temperature in the range of from about 80° C. to about 110° C.    
     
     
         10 . The melt-cast explosive composition of  claim 9 , wherein the at least one processing aid accounts for about 0.15 weight percent to about 1 weight percent of a total weight of the melt-cast explosive composition.  
     
     
         11 . The melt-cast explosive composition of  claim 9 , wherein the at least one binder accounts for 25 weight percent to 45 weight percent of a total weight of the melt-cast explosive composition.  
     
     
         12 . The melt-cast explosive composition of  claim 9 , wherein the at least one binder accounts for 30 weight percent to 40 weight percent of a total weight of the melt-cast explosive composition.  
     
     
         13 . The melt-cast explosive composition of  claim 9 , wherein the at least one binder comprises at least one member selected from the group consisting of nitrotoluenes, dinitrotoluenes, and dinitronaphthalenes.  
     
     
         14 . The melt-cast explosive composition of  claim 9 , wherein the at least one binder is further substituted and comprises at least one member selected from the group consisting of nitrophenols, dinitrophenols, mononitroanilines, and dinitroanilines.  
     
     
         15 . The melt-cast explosive composition of  claim 9 , wherein the at least one energetic filler comprises at least one member selected from the group consisting of 1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triaza-cyclohexane (RDX), 1,3,5,7-tetranitro-1,3,5,7-tetraazacyclooctane (HMX), 2,4,6,8,10,12-hexanitro-2,4,6,8,10,12-hexaazatetracyclo[5.5.0.0 5,9 0 3,11 ]dodecane (HNIW), 4,10-dinitro-2,6,8,12-tetraoxa-4,10-diazatetracyclo[5.5.0.0 5,9 0 3,11 ]dodecane (TEX), nitroguanidine (NQ), 1,3,5-triamino-2,4,6-trinitrobenzene (TATB), 1,1-diamino-2,2-dinitroethane (DADNE), 1,3,3-trinitroazetidine (TNAZ), and 3-nitro-1,2,4-triazol-5-one (NTO).  
     
     
         16 . The melt-cast explosive composition of  claim 9 , wherein the oxidizer particles comprise at least one member selected from the group consisting of inorganic perchlorates and inorganic nitrates.  
     
     
         17 . The melt-cast explosive composition of  claim 16 , wherein the at least one energetic filler comprises 1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triaza-cyclohexane (RDX).  
     
     
         18 . The melt-cast explosive composition of  claim 17 , wherein the at least one processing aid comprises at least one N-alkyl-nitroaniline.  
     
     
         19 . The melt-cast explosive composition of  claim 17 , wherein the at least one processing aid comprises N-methyl-nitroaniline.