A detailed model for the decomposition of nitramines: RDX and HMX

Abstract

A unified decomposition scheme for two very important cyclic nitramines used as primary explosives – RDX and HMX – has been constructed using ab initio Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations. Molecular parameters such as vibrational frequencies and moments of inertia corresponding to the computed potential energy profile of unimolecular decomposition of these nitramines were then used to obtain the thermochemistry of all identified species and reaction rate constants of each individual channel. These primary decomposition reactions were then combined with: (i) important secondary reactions of the key reactive radical intermediates, such as CH₂NNO₂ (Methylene Nitramine MN), CH₂N, NO, NO₂, OH, etc.; (ii) existing nitramie reaction networks [33]. We have developed an improved mechanism for the detailed chemistry of nitramines which can be applied to combustion and detonation phenomena of this class of energetic materials.

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