Calculation of the Detonation Velocities and Detonation Pressures of Dinitrobiuret (DNB) and Diaminotetrazolium Nitrate (HDAT‐NO3)

The enthalpies of combustion (Δ_combH) of dinitrobiuret (DNB) and diaminotetrazolium nitrate (HDAT‐NO₃) were determined experimentally using oxygen bomb calorimetry: Δ_combH(DNB)=5195±200 kJ kg⁻¹, Δ_combH(HDAT‐NO₃)=7900±300 kJ kg⁻¹. The standard enthalpies of formation (Δ_fH°) of DNB and HDAT‐NO₃ were obtained on the basis of quantum chemical computations at the electron‐correlated ab initio MP2 (second order Møller‐Plesset perturbation theory) level of theory using a correlation consistent double‐zeta basis set (cc‐pVTZ): Δ_fH°(DNB)=−353 kJ mol⁻¹, −1 829 kJ kg⁻¹; Δ_fH°(HDAT‐NO₃)=+254 kJ mol⁻¹, +1 558 kJ kg⁻¹. The detonation velocities (D) and detonation pressures (P) of DNB and HDAT‐NO₃ were calculated using the empirical equations by Kamlet and Jacobs: D(DNB)=8.66 mm μs⁻¹, P(DNB)=33.9 GPa, D(HDAT‐NO₃)=8.77 mm μs⁻¹, P(HDAT‐NO₃)=33.3 GPa.     

Study of the Effect of Covolumes in BKW Equation of State on Detonation Properties of CHNO Explosives

Due to its simplicity, the Becker‐Kistiakowsky‐Wilson (BKW) equation of state has been used in many thermochemical codes in the calculation of detonation properties. Much work has been done in the calibration of the BKW EOS parameters to achieve agreement with experimental detonation velocities and pressures thus resulting in many different sets of BKW constants (α, β, κ and θ) and covolumes of detonation products, with varying levels of accuracy over broad density limits, i.e. broad pressure limits. The covolumes of the product gases in BKW EOS may be regarded as measures of intermolecular interactions, and their values should affect the predicted detonation properties, particularly at higher explosives densities. This work aims to study the effect of covolumes on calculated values of detonation parameters. Several sets of covolumes available from literature and derived by different methods (matching experimental Hugoniots of individual products, by stochastic optimization, and calculated from van der Waals radii), were studied. In addition, the covolumes of the product gases were also calculated by ab initio methods. The effect of covolumes is studied comparing detonation properties calculated using different sets of covolumes, and experimental data for a series of standard CHNO explosives. It was found that it is possible to reproduce experimental detonation velocities and pressures within reasonable accuracy (root mean square error of less than 5 % for all tested sets) using different set of covolumes, and simultaneously optimizing constants in BKW EOS. However, different values of covolumes strongly affect the composition of detonation products at the Chapman‐Jouguet state. It particularly applies to oxygen‐deficient explosives and at higher densities, where formic acid appears to be an important detonation product.     

Substituent Effects on Thermodynamic and Detonation Properties of Polynitrobenzenes

Density functional theory (DFT) calculations were performed for a series of polynitrobenzene derivatives. Some nitrobenzenes with amino groups attached were also investigated as a benchmark or as a precursor. Heats of formation (HOF) were evaluated. The isodesmic reactions used for the prediction of HOFs are of permutation type in terms of the substituents. The HOFs increase non‐additively with increasing number of nitro groups. The attachment of the amino groups to polynitrobenzenes dramatically decreases the HOF. The HOF of hexanitrobenzene (HNB) is 344.05 kJ mol⁻¹ at the B3LYP/6‐311+G** level. This value is much larger than that of the widely used 1,3,5‐triamino‐2,4,6‐trinitrobenzene (TATB), which engenders HNB a large chemical energy of detonation. The strengths of the group interactions were analyzed according to the disproportionation energy. The nearest‐neighbor interactions in polynitrobenzenes are in the range of 27.20–55.90 kJ mol⁻¹. The energy barrier for the internal rotation of nitro group in nitrobenzene is 24.6 kJ mol⁻¹. However, the energy barrier for the internal rotation of 2‐position nitro group of 1,2,3‐trinitrobenzene is as large as 216.3 kJ mol⁻¹. The chemical energies of detonation for polynitrobenzenes with three or more nitro groups are over 6000 J g⁻¹. Pentanitroaniline and HNB have good performances in terms of detonation velocity and pressure.     

Calculation of Detonation Velocity,Pressure, and Electric Sensitivity of Nitro Arenes Based on Quantum Chemistry

The DFT‐B3LYP method, with basis set 6‐31G*, is employed to optimize molecular geometries and electronic structures of thirty‐nine nitro arenes. The averaged molar volume (V) and theoretical density (ϱ) are estimated using the Monte‐Carlo method, based on 0.001 electrons/bohr³ density space and a self‐compiled program. The detonation velocity (D) and pressure (P) of the explosives are estimated by using the Kamlet–Jacbos equation on the basis of the theoretical density and heat of formation (Δ_fH), which is calculated using the PM3 method. The reliability of this theoretical method and results are tested by comparing the theoretical values of ϱ and D with the experimental or referenced values. The theoretical values of D and P are correlated with the experimental values of electric sensitivity (E_ES). It is found that, for the nitro arenes, there is a linear relationship between the square of detonation velocity (D²) or detonation pressure (P) and electric sensitivity (E_ES), which suggests that such a theoretical approach can be used to predict or judge the magnitude of E_ES, which is difficult to measure in the molecular design of energetic materials. In addition, we have discussed the influence of the substituted groups and the parameters of the electronic structure on density, detonation velocity, pressure, and electric sensitivity, and have shown that the substituted groups have the effect of activity or insensitivity, and that the influence of Q_‐NO2 and E_LUMO is important.     

Synthesis,Structure and Electrical Properties of Mo‐doped CeO2–Materials for SOFCs

In this paper, we report the synthesis, structure and electrical conductivity of Mo‐doped compounds with a nominal chemical formula of Ce_1–xMo_xO_2+δ (x = 0.05, 0.07, 0.1) (CMO). The formation of fluorite‐like structure with a small amount of Ce₈Mo₁₂O₄₉ impurity (JCPDS Card No. 31‐0330) was confirmed using a powder X‐ray diffraction (PXRD). The fluoride‐type structure was retained under wet H₂ and CH₄ atmospheres at 700 and 800 °C, while diffraction peaks due to metal Mo were observed in dry H₂ under the same condition. AC impedance measurements showed that the total conductivity increases with increasing Mo content in CMO, and among the investigated samples, Ce_0.9Mo_0.1O_2+δ exhibited the highest electrical conductivity with a value of 2.8 × 10^–4 and 5.08 × 10^–2 S cm^–1 at 550 °C in air and wet H₂, respectively. The electrical conductivity was found to be nearly the same, especially at high temperatures, in air, O₂ and N₂. Chemical compatibility of Ce_0.9Mo_0.1O_2+δ with 10 mol‐% Y₂O₃ stabilised ZrO₂ (YSZ) and Ce_0.9Gd_0.1O_1.95 (CGO) oxide ion electrolytes in wet H₂ was evaluated at 800–1,000 °C, using PXRD and EDX analyses. PXRD showed that CMO was found to react with YSZ electrolyte at 1,000 °C. The area specific polarisation resistance (ASPR) of Ce_0.9Mo_0.1O_2+δ on YSZ was found to be 8.58 ohm cm² at 800 °C in wet H₂.