Pickering emulsion polymerization method preparation of TATB/RDX/PVAc/GO composite energetic microspheres with low sensitivity and strong stability

RDX (Royal Demolition Explosive) is renowned for its exceptional explosive performance, yet it is prone to combustion and explosion when exposed to open flames, high temperatures, vibrations, impacts, and friction. Addressing these challenges is essential for the practical application of RDX. Molecular dynamics simulations were employed to calculate the binding energies of composite particle models with varying ratios of TATB/RDX/PVAc, revealing that the TATB/RDX/PVAc (40/55/5) combination exhibited significantly higher binding energies, indicating optimal system stability. Experimental findings indicated that the optimal processing conditions are a polymerization temperature of 60 °C, a stirring rate of 350 r/min, and an initiator dosage of 1 wt%. Consequently, TATB/RDX/PVAc/GO microspheres with uniform and dense morphology were successfully synthesized. Through the calculation and comparison of thermal decomposition kinetic parameters, it was determined that the thermal explosion critical temperature of RDX in composite particles is elevated by 4.27 °C and 2.97 °C compared to pure RDX, with the T p0 value increased by 5.5 °C and 3.85 °C, respectively. For TATB in composite particles, the thermal explosion critical temperature was raised to 21.51 °C and 17.79 °C, with the T p0 value enhanced by 22.96 °C and 18.56 °C, respectively. Furthermore, the critical impact sensitivity (55 J) is 4.5 times greater than that of refinement RDX (12 J), and the critical friction sensitivity (288 N) is twice that of refinement RDX (144 N). The results demonstrate that TATB/RDX/PVAc/GO energetic composite microspheres, prepared via the Pickering emulsion polymerization method, possess excellent thermal stability and mechanical blunt sensitivity, providing a theoretical foundation for the broad application of RDX.