Reduced sensitivity melt-pourable Tritonal replacements

Abstract

This melt-pourable explosive composition shares explosive properties comparable to those of Tritonal and is melt-pourable and castable under conditions comparable to those of Tritonal, but experiences equal or less impact, shock, and thermal sensitivity and avoids the issues of toxicity associated with trinitrotoluene. The trinitrotoluene component of Tritonal is replaced with one or more mononitro aromatic and/or dinitro aromatic melt-pourable binders, such as dinitroanisole, which may be melt poured without presenting the toxicity drawbacks experienced with the use of TNT. The melt-pourable binder may also be combined with a processing aid selected from the group consisting of alkylnitroanilines and arylnitroanilines. The composition also includes oxidizer particles, which are preferably inorganic oxidizer particles, and a reactive metallic fuel, such as aluminum.

1 . A melt-pourable explosive composition comprising:
 from 30 weight percent to 70 weight percent of an organic binder selected from the group consisting of meta-nitrophenol, para-nitrophenol, 2-amino-4-nitrophenol, a mononitroaniline, a dinitroaniline, a mononitronaphthalene, nitrotoluene and mixtures thereof;   from 5 weight percent to 35 weight percent of at least one oxidizer; and   from 5 weight percent to 35 weight percent of at least one reactive metallic fuel, wherein the melt-pourable explosive composition is pourable at a temperature in a range of from 80° C. to 115° C.   
     
     
         2 . The melt-pourable explosive composition of  claim 1 , wherein the organic binder comprises a member selected from the group consisting of ortho-nitroaniline, meta-nitroaniline, para-nitroaniline, 2,4-dinitroaniline, 2,6-dinitroaniline, and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         3 . The melt-pourable explosive composition of  claim 1 , further comprising at least one processing aid selected from the group consisting of an N-alkyl-nitroaniline and an N-aryl-nitroaniline. 
     
     
         4 . The melt-pourable explosive composition of  claim 3 , wherein the at least one processing aid comprises a member selected from the group consisting of N-methyl-p-nitroaniline, N-ethyl-p-nitroaniline, 4-nitrodiphenylamine, 2-nitrodiphenylamine, and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         5 . The melt-pourable explosive composition of  claim 1 , further comprising at least one processing aid selected from the group consisting of N-alkyl nitroaniline and N-aryl-nitroaniline, the at least one processing aid accounting for not more than 1 weight percent of the melt-pourable explosive composition. 
     
     
         6 . The melt-pourable explosive composition of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one reactive metallic fuel comprises aluminum. 
     
     
         7 . The melt-pourable explosive composition of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one oxidizer is present in the melt-pourable explosive composition in a single modal particle size distribution in a range of from 5 microns to 50 microns, the at least one oxidizer comprising from 15 weight percent to 20 weight percent of the melt-pourable explosive composition. 
     
     
         8 . The melt-pourable explosive composition of  claim 1 , wherein the melt-pourable explosive composition undergoes an onset of thermal decomposition at a temperature at least 55.5° C. higher than a temperature at which the melt-pourable explosive composition becomes pourable. 
     
     
         9 . The melt-pourable explosive composition of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one oxidizer is at least one inorganic oxidizer. 
     
     
         10 . The melt-pourable explosive composition of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one oxidizer comprises a member selected from the group consisting of ammonium perchlorate, strontium perchlorate, sodium perchlorate, potassium perchlorate, ammonium nitrate, sodium nitrate, strontium nitrate, potassium nitrate, copper nitrate, hydroxylammonium nitrate, ammonium dinitramide, hydrazinium nitroformate, and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         11 . The melt-pourable explosive composition of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one oxidizer has an average particle size ranging from 3 microns to 60 microns. 
     
     
         12 . The melt-pourable explosive composition of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one oxidizer has an average particle size ranging from 5 microns to 20 microns. 
     
     
         13 . The melt-pourable explosive composition of  claim 1 , wherein at least 95 weight percent of the melt-pourable explosive composition comprises a combination of the organic binder, the at least one oxidizer, and the at least one reactive metallic fuel. 
     
     
         14 . The melt-pourable explosive composition of  claim 1 , wherein at least 99 weight percent of the melt-pourable explosive composition comprises a combination of the organic binder, the at least one oxidizer, and the at least one reactive metallic fuel.