Effect of potassium chlorate on thermal decomposition of cyclotrimethylenetrinitramine (RDX)

The thermal decomposition process of a newly designed composite material KClO₃-RDX (KC-RDX) was investigated by combined TG-DSC-FTIR technique and DSC technique. It was shown that KC-RDX began to decompose at about 209.9°C after melting, and the fast stage of mass loss at the temperature range of 209.9-259.8°C is considered to be the result of the thermolysis and complex reactions of KClO₃ and RDX with energy release of 1887 J g^-1, which exceeded that of pure RDX about 10%. The CO, CO ₂, HCN, NO₂ and H₂O were detected as the main gaseous products of KC-RDX decomposition, and occurred in initial stage of RDX decomposition are greatly affected by KClO₃. In contrast to pure RDX, there was nearly no CH₂O detected in thermolysis products of KC-RDX. In the presence of electronegative oxygen radical produced by thermolysis of KClO₃ oxidized CH₂O through gas-phase reaction CH ₂O + O₂ → HCO + HO₂, which might be one of the unique chemical reaction for KC-RDX.