Spray Dried Powder Compositions for Dual-use Secondary High Explosive and Rocket Propellants

The U.S. Army has a future need for multiple secondary high explosive compositions that can also be used interchangeably as rocket propellants. In this proposal we will discuss a method of preparing such compositions via advanced spray drying technology and involving the use of a highly insensitive spray dried nitramine or CL-20 composition which have been plasticized with an energetic polymer to ensure a reliable burn rate under deflagration conditions. Spray drying technology has been shown to lead to high explosive compositions with increased insensitivity to heat and we believe that this increased insensitivity along with novel formulations can provide a high explosive composition which can be burned reliably, and smoothly so that the deflagration-to-detonation transition (DDT) occurs only upon command.