UV-Induced Degradation Rates of 1,3,5-Triamino-2,4,6-Trinitrobenzene (TATB)

Abstract

We report a 2.5-year study of the photolytic degradation of 1,3,5-triamino-2,4,6-trinitrobenzene (TATB) with variations in temperature, humidity, and illumination by fluorescent and UV light (254, 312, and 365 nm). The free-radical decomposition product was monitored with electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR). The EPR spectrum of the green powder allowed reliable quantitation with a single peak (fwhm = 29.1 G). The variations in humidity showed little effect in accelerating the degradation of TATB. The only significant temperature effect was noticed at −10 °C, where fewer radicals formed. The radical production rates at −10 °C were some of the highest measured, however, suggesting that the rates under other temperature conditions had slowed, perhaps as a result of extensive conversion of surface molecules to radical species. We show that a substantial amount of radicals can be generated with UV light, and work is ongoing to modify our EPR spectrometer so that TATB can be irradiated in the EPR cavity to measure the initial rates of radical formation.

Study on the Photolysis Route of Nano 2,2ʹ,4,4ʹ,6,6ʹ–Hexanitrostillbene by Vibrational Spectroscopy

“…In recent years, the photolysis of organic pollutants has attracted widespread attention since it could help pollution control [5,[7][8][9]. For energetic materials, the exploration of the decomposition process is very important not only for enhancing the detonation performance but also for the lifetime prediction [10,11]. High-energy materials (HEMs) generally have different decomposition pathways, which were related to different initiation sources, such as light, heat, and spark [12,13].…”

“…High-energy explosives (HEEs), a kind of special organic HEMs, have obvious decomposition under UV and visible irradiation [14]. Past practices have demonstrated the photolysis mechanisms of HEEs via many techniques, such as time-of-flight mass spectrometry (TFMS) [15][16][17], electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy [18,19], time-resolved infrared and steady-state FTIR spectroscopy [12], and femtosecond laser pumping-probe techniques [20]. Among them, the Raman technique has also been widely utilized to study the photolysis of HEMs [21][22][23][24].…”

A Photophysical Deactivation Channel of Laser-Excited TATB Based on Semiclassical Dynamics Simulation and TD-DFT Calculation

“…1,3,5-Triamino-2,4,6-trinitrobenzene (TATB) is a photosensitized insensitive explosive that is widely used in defense, mining, construction, and other fields. Photochromism, which is attributed to the photodecomposition of TATB, is observed under light irradiation [ 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 ]. The excited state of the TATB molecule is regarded as the important initial step of photodecomposition.…”

Laser-Induced Decomposition of 2,2',4,4',6,6'-Hexanitrostillbene at 263, 527 and 1053 nm

“…Precisely to say which bonds absorb this energy and cause molecular decomposition is also of great interest 2 . Several researchers have studied the laser-induced decomposition of some energetic materials, including (dimethyl nitramine) (DMNA) [3][4][5] , (1,3,5-triamino-2,4,6-trinitrobenzene) (TATB) [6][7][8][9][10] , (1,3,5,7-tetranitro-1,3,5,7-tetrazacyclooctane) (HMX), (1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazacyclohexane) (RDX) [10][11][12][13][14] , (2,4,6,8,10,12-hexanitro-2,4,6,8,10,12-hexaazaisowurtzitane) (CL-20) [14][15][16][17] , etc., but inconsistencies still existed for the photodissociation mechanism of energetic materials. C-NO2 broken, O atom elimination, H atom transfer, OH formation and nitro-nitrite isomerization reaction etc.…”