Unraveling the atypical co-crystal transformation process and mechanism of CL-20 and HMX in solid propellant formulations
The integration of CL-20 into solid propellants offers substantial potential for enhancing energy output, yet introduces critical challenges related to structural instability during multi-component blending, aging, and long-term storage. This work employs in-situ and off-line XRD, OM, and complement...
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Elsevier
2025-05-01
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| Series: | Journal of Materials Research and Technology |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2238785425012050 |
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| author | Pangangjing Zou Shiliang Huang Haobin Zhang Shichun Li Jie Li Yu Liu Liangbin Li Jinjiang Xu |
| author_facet | Pangangjing Zou Shiliang Huang Haobin Zhang Shichun Li Jie Li Yu Liu Liangbin Li Jinjiang Xu |
| author_sort | Pangangjing Zou |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The integration of CL-20 into solid propellants offers substantial potential for enhancing energy output, yet introduces critical challenges related to structural instability during multi-component blending, aging, and long-term storage. This work employs in-situ and off-line XRD, OM, and complementary analytical techniques to probe the atypical co-crystallization pathways governing the interaction between CL-20 and HMX in propellant formulations. Key findings demonstrate that CL-20 and HMX spontaneously form a thermodynamically stable 2:1 co-crystal (2CL-20/HMX) not only in nitrate ester plasticizers (e.g., DOS) but also within polymeric binders such as GAP and HTPE, contrary to the inert behavior observed in HTPB, AP, or Al-containing systems. Kinetic analysis further established that the co-crystal structure transformation process is rate-limited by nucleation barriers, consistent with a kinetically controlled transformation mechanism. Moreover, the interaction between CL-20 and HMX proceeds through a solvent-mediated interface dissolution-reorganization pathway, thermodynamically favored by energy minimization. These results provide a fundamental understanding of co-crystal structure transformation in composite solid propellants containing HMX and CL-20. The resolution of co-crystallization mechanisms advances the practical implementation of CL-20-based propellants by reconciling energy enhancement with structural reliability. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-dee0735057ae4ed79eb69844cf9c57c8 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2238-7854 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-05-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Materials Research and Technology |
| spelling | doaj-art-dee0735057ae4ed79eb69844cf9c57c82025-08-20T03:53:12ZengElsevierJournal of Materials Research and Technology2238-78542025-05-01367859786910.1016/j.jmrt.2025.05.050Unraveling the atypical co-crystal transformation process and mechanism of CL-20 and HMX in solid propellant formulationsPangangjing Zou0Shiliang Huang1Haobin Zhang2Shichun Li3Jie Li4Yu Liu5Liangbin Li6Jinjiang Xu7CAS Key Laboratory of Soft Matter Chemistry, Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Anhui, 230026, China; Institute of Chemical Materials, China Academy of Engineering Physics, Mianyang, 621900, ChinaInstitute of Chemical Materials, China Academy of Engineering Physics, Mianyang, 621900, ChinaInstitute of Chemical Materials, China Academy of Engineering Physics, Mianyang, 621900, ChinaInstitute of Chemical Materials, China Academy of Engineering Physics, Mianyang, 621900, ChinaInstitute of Chemical Materials, China Academy of Engineering Physics, Mianyang, 621900, ChinaInstitute of Chemical Materials, China Academy of Engineering Physics, Mianyang, 621900, China; Corresponding author. Institute of Chemical Materials, China Academy of Engineering Physics, Mianyang, 621900, China.CAS Key Laboratory of Soft Matter Chemistry, Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Anhui, 230026, ChinaInstitute of Chemical Materials, China Academy of Engineering Physics, Mianyang, 621900, China; Corresponding author. Institute of Chemical Materials, China Academy of Engineering Physics, Mianyang, 621900, China.The integration of CL-20 into solid propellants offers substantial potential for enhancing energy output, yet introduces critical challenges related to structural instability during multi-component blending, aging, and long-term storage. This work employs in-situ and off-line XRD, OM, and complementary analytical techniques to probe the atypical co-crystallization pathways governing the interaction between CL-20 and HMX in propellant formulations. Key findings demonstrate that CL-20 and HMX spontaneously form a thermodynamically stable 2:1 co-crystal (2CL-20/HMX) not only in nitrate ester plasticizers (e.g., DOS) but also within polymeric binders such as GAP and HTPE, contrary to the inert behavior observed in HTPB, AP, or Al-containing systems. Kinetic analysis further established that the co-crystal structure transformation process is rate-limited by nucleation barriers, consistent with a kinetically controlled transformation mechanism. Moreover, the interaction between CL-20 and HMX proceeds through a solvent-mediated interface dissolution-reorganization pathway, thermodynamically favored by energy minimization. These results provide a fundamental understanding of co-crystal structure transformation in composite solid propellants containing HMX and CL-20. The resolution of co-crystallization mechanisms advances the practical implementation of CL-20-based propellants by reconciling energy enhancement with structural reliability.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2238785425012050PropellantsCL-20HMXCo-crystalBinderFormulation |
| spellingShingle | Pangangjing Zou Shiliang Huang Haobin Zhang Shichun Li Jie Li Yu Liu Liangbin Li Jinjiang Xu Unraveling the atypical co-crystal transformation process and mechanism of CL-20 and HMX in solid propellant formulations Journal of Materials Research and Technology Propellants CL-20 HMX Co-crystal Binder Formulation |
| title | Unraveling the atypical co-crystal transformation process and mechanism of CL-20 and HMX in solid propellant formulations |
| title_full | Unraveling the atypical co-crystal transformation process and mechanism of CL-20 and HMX in solid propellant formulations |
| title_fullStr | Unraveling the atypical co-crystal transformation process and mechanism of CL-20 and HMX in solid propellant formulations |
| title_full_unstemmed | Unraveling the atypical co-crystal transformation process and mechanism of CL-20 and HMX in solid propellant formulations |
| title_short | Unraveling the atypical co-crystal transformation process and mechanism of CL-20 and HMX in solid propellant formulations |
| title_sort | unraveling the atypical co crystal transformation process and mechanism of cl 20 and hmx in solid propellant formulations |
| topic | Propellants CL-20 HMX Co-crystal Binder Formulation |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2238785425012050 |
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