Thermal decomposition of energetic materials using TG-FTIR and TG-MS: a state-of-the-art review

Energetic materials have been widely investigated experimentally and theoretically for decades, but there are still many unanswered questions concerning their thermal decomposition mechanisms that play a key role in the overall reaction processes. Hyphenated analytical techniques of thermal analysis, such as thermogravimetry coupled either with infrared (TG-FTIR) or mass spectroscopies (TG-MS) have been revealed to be efficient methods for studying such mechanisms. These methods allow the exploration of the evolved gases during the thermal decomposition, which let to trace back the chemical decomposition mechanisms and allows better control of the thermal behavior of various energetic formulations. In this overview, a classification, characterization and properties of energetic material are introduced. Next, advances in the application of two hyphenated techniques (TG-FTIR and TG-MS) along with appropriate examples are discussed. These techniques offer remarkable improvements by enhancing the amount of authentic information obtained with better reproducibility compared to conventional techniques. This first review article dedicated solely to the application of TG on-line coupled with an IR or MS spectrometer, by means of a heater transfer line, will certainly help researchers to easily understand the behavior of energetic materials as well as the development of new applications.