Heterogeneous Reaction of Boron in CHNO and CHNOF Environments Using High-Pressure Matrix Isolation

Abstract

AbstractWe have developed a technique in which the decomposition of energetic materials can be initiated under high pressure conditions which resemble the pressures reached in the non-ideal detonation process. A gem anvil cell is cooled to cryogenic temperatures, 50 K, and remains in thermal contact with the cooling element throughout the experiment. Following initiation, the reaction products are rapidly cooled and quenched on the microsecond time scale and detected using FTIR spectroscopy. In the present study, binary mixtures of boron with energetic materials containing (CHNOF) and lacking fluorine (CHNO) are compared. The differences in the reaction products suggest that the presence of the fluorine substituent leads to a complete combustion of boron to B2O3. In the decomposition of binary mixtures lacking the fluorine substituent, the boron in appears to be unchanged following the reaction of the oxidizer. The observed products are compared to predict the affect of fluorine on the formation of boron combustion products in the two environments.