SYNTHESIS AND COMBUSTION CHARACTERISTICS OF NOVEL HIGH-NITROGEN MATERIALS

The synthesis of high-nitrogen energetic materials has been of ongoing interest at the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL). We have discovered that high-nitrogen materials can offer interesting performance and sensitivity properties not accessible through conventional energetic materials. For example, some of the high-nitrogen materials developed at LANL have extremely fast burn rates and very low dependence of the burn rate on pressure. Examples of this include 3,6-bis (tetrazol-5yl-amino) tetrazine (BTATz) and diaminoazotetrazine N-oxides (DAATOx) materials. In this paper, we will discuss our recent developments in our continuing efforts toward the synthesis of new high-nitrogen materials that feature interesting combustion and explosives properties. In particular, we will describe the synthesis of the high-nitrogen materials dinitroazotriazole (DNAT), dinitroazoxy-triazole (DNATO), and the corresponding triaminoguanidinium salts (TAGDNAT, TAGDNATO), and present chemical properties such as density, and heat of formation, as well as their sensitivity properties. Thermo-equilibrium calculations (Cheetah code) were used to predict decomposition products as well as propellant and explosives behaviors. Finally, we will present burning rate data for these new materials.