Effects of particle size on thermal decomposition of CL-20

Three Hexanitrohexaazaisowurtzitane (CL-20) samples with different particle size are prepared and tested by means of differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), laser granularity measurement and Xray diffraction (XRD) were employed to characterize the CL-20 samples. The kinetic parameters, reaction rate constant, thermal stability and thermodynamic parameters of CL-20 samples were studied and contrasted. Results show that the mean particle size of three CL-20 samples is 56.73 mu m, 6.86 mu m and 0.76 mu m, respectively. The epsilon-phase purity of raw CL-20, micron CL-20 and submicron CL-20 is calculated as 96.9%, 96.0% and 94.8%, respectively. The peak temperature, activation energy, thermal stability and thermodynamic parameters of CL-20 are all decreasing with the reduction of particle size.