Crystal Growth of Energetic Materials During High Acceleration

Abstract

AbstractStudies of the growth of crystals of energetic materials under conditions of high acceleration in an ultracentrifuge are reported. When a saturated solution is accelerated in an ultracentrifuge, the solute molecules move individually through the solvent molecules to form a crystal at the outer edge of the tube if the solute is more dense than the solvent. Since there is no evaporation or temperature variation, convection currents caused by simultaneous movement of solvent and solute are minimized and crystal defects are potentially minimized. Crystal growth is controlled by the g-level of the acceleration. In addition, solution inclusions and bubbles migrate out of the saturated solution as a result of the pressure gradient induced by the g-force. We present results of TNT, RDX, and TNAZ grown at high g from various solutions.