Studies on rheological properties and process parameters of TNT based castable high explosive compositions

High explosive compositions are formulated and used depending on their properties like performance parameters, processabilty, sensitivity, storage life, etc. TNT, RDX and HMX are commonly used high explosives. Although, the performance of TNT is inferior compared to RDX and HMX, but it is widely used as an energetic binder/ casting medium in compositions due to its low melting point, insensitivity and its stability in molten condition. Energetic materials like RDX/HMX are incorporated into TNT filling to increase the efficiency of the composition. Rheological behavior is one of the most important factors in determining the ease of processing of castable materials. The mixing parameters and physical characteristics of ingredients in the composition influence the rheological behavior of the composition and quality of high explosive filling. To achieve free flowing castable and processable compositions, a systematic study on the parameters such as proportion of HMX, particle size of HMX, temperature of melt, mixing duration and stirring rate/speed on viscosity of the composition was carried out. In addition to this, the sensitivity and performance parameters of the formulations were also evaluated.