Production and Characterization of Composite Nano-RDX by RESS Co-Precipitation

Nanoscale composites of hexahydro‐1,3,5‐trinitro‐1,3,5‐triazine (RDX) and polymeric binders were produced by co‐precipitation using rapid expansion of supercritical solutions (RESS). The binders used in this study are poly (vinylidene fluoride‐co‐hexafluoropropylene) (VDF‐HFP22) and polystyrene (PS). The RDX/VDF‐HFP22 and RDX/PS co‐precipitated nanoparticles were characterized by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM). The average size of produced nanoparticles is ca. 100 nm. TEM analysis of RDX/PS nanocomposite shows a core‐shell structure with RDX as the core material and the shell consisting of the polymeric binder. X‐ray Powder Diffraction (XRPD) analysis indicates polycrystalline structure of RDX in the product with a crystallite size of 42 nm. The content of RDX in the composite particles is in the range of 70–73 % by mass as determined by Gas Chromatography Mass Spectroscopy (GCMS) and by XRPD.