The thermomechanics of particulate composite mock energetic materials in response to high-frequency (1–100 kHz) excitation

This work seeks to explore the macroscale, thermomechanical response of polymer-bonded composite energetic materials in their inert form to high-frequency mechanical excitation in the range of 1–100 kHz. Cylindrical samples were fabricated according to a mock PBXN-109 formulation, consisting of hydroxyl-terminated polybutadiene, mock RDX material (sucrose), and varying ratios of spherical aluminum powder. Experiments were performed utilizing laser Doppler vibrometry and infrared thermography in order to analyze the thermal and mechanical response of the samples when mechanically excited using a piezoelectric shaker. Thermal analysis of the samples revealed temperature rises on the order of 4°C/min, with several samples reaching 100°C within a 15 min experiment. Generally, formulations containing a higher weight percentage of aluminum additive content tended to exhibit greater temperature increases than those with pure sucrose embedded in the binder. The investigation presented herein serves as an advancement toward the complete characterization of these composite materials in this frequency range.