Theoretical Kinetic Studies on Thermal Decomposition of Glycerol Trinitrate and Trimethylolethane Trinitrate in the Gas and Liquid Phases

Glycerol trinitrate (NG) and trimethylolethane trinitrate (TMETN), as typical nitrate esters, are important energetic plasticizers in solid propellants. With the aid of high-precision quantum chemical calculations, the Rice-Ramsperger-Kassel-Marcus (RRKM)/master equation theory and the transition state theory have been employed to investigate the decomposition kinetics of NG and TMETN in the gas phase (over the temperature range of 300-1000 K and pressure range of 0.01-100 atm) and liquid phase (using water as the solvent). The continuum solvation model based on solute electron density (SMD) was used to describe the solvent effect. The thermal decomposition mechanism is closely relevant to the combustion properties of energetic materials. The results show that the RO-NO2 dissociation channel overwhelmingly favors other reaction pathways, including HONO elimination for the decomposition of NG and TMETN in both the gas phase and liquid phase. At 500 K and 1 atm, the rate coefficient of gas phase decomposition of TMETN is 5 times higher than that of NG. Nevertheless, the liquid phase decomposition of TMETN is a factor of 5835 slower than that of NG at 500 K. The solvation effect caused by vapor pressure and solubility can be used to justify such contradictions. Our calculations provide detailed mechanistic evidence for the initial kinetics of nitrate ester decomposition in both the gas phase and liquid phase, which is particularly valuable for understanding the multiphase decomposition behavior and building detailed kinetic models for nitrate ester.