Abstract
Nitramine-polymer composites suffer from a problem known as dewetting. Dewetting adversely affects the performance and the sensitivity characteristics of an explosive composition. Voids, which are generated between explosive particles and binder on dewetting, act as initiation sites. For a PBXs as well as propellants, where good adhesion and mechanical properties are of great importance, dewetting therefore must be prevented by strong adhesion between the filler and the binder. The surface energy of materials is measured by Wilhelmy plate and wicking method. The interfacial energy between the filler and the binder is calculated from the disperse phase and the polar phase of surface energy. Time dependent compressive properties of composite explosives have been determined by stress-strain curves obtained at different strain rates and temperatures. The interfacial state of the PBX was observed through SEM. It was found from the result that the interface between the explosive and the binder becomes better adhesion with decreasing interfacial tension and increasing work of adhesion. The result clearly shows that the castable PBX has good adhesion more than the pressable PBX.