3D Printing and Performance Study of CL-20-based Composite Energetic Materials with PVA/PAA/M-PTW Networks

This work presents a molecular-to-structural strategy for fabricating high-performance CL-20-based composite energetic materials using direct ink writing (DIW). A poly(vinyl alcohol)/poly(acrylic acid)/modified potassium titanate whisker (PVA/PAA/ M-PTW) interpenetrating polymer network (IPN) was designed to simultaneously enhance mechanical strength and reduce mechanical sensitivity. The hydrogen bonding–covalent crosslinking–filler reinforcement mechanism ensured uniform dispersion of CL-20 crystals and strong interfacial adhesion within the polymer matrix. Surface modification of PTW with 5 wt% KH-550 improved compatibility with the IPN, yielding printed structures with excellent form accuracy and adhesion to aluminum substrates (0.961 MPa). The optimized composite exhibited high compressive strength (16.77 MPa) and reduced impact and friction sensitivities compared with ε-CL-20 and submicron CL-20 samples. It achieved stable detonation wave transmission within a 90°-160° corner range in a 1.2 × 1.2mm charge slot, with the critical detonation size reaching 0.3m × 0.3mm. The measured detonation velocity of 7267.9m/s (83.2% of theoretical). These results demonstrate that the DIW-based PVA/PAA/M-PTW system enables the precise construction of high-strength, low-sensitivity energetic composites with reliable detonation performance, providing a promising pathway for advanced micro-scale energetic devices.