The thermal stability of the polymorphs of hexanitrohexaazaisowurtzitane,Part I

Phase transitions in the α-, β-, γ-, and ϵ-polymorphs of 2,4,6,8,10,12-hexanitrohexaazaisowurtzitane (HNIW) have been studied as a function of temperature. Described are the results of high temperature equilibrium solvation studies coupled with Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) for the identification of polymorphic conversion. These results are augmented by data in Part II from differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), differential thermal analysis/thermogravimetric analysis (DTA/TGA), and optical hot stage microscopy⁽⁶⁾. The thermodynamic stability order of ϵ > γ > α-hydrate > β is shown, with the epsilon polymorph the most thermodynamically stable phase of HNTW at room temperature. The existence of multiple α-hydrate phases is shown to complicate the determination of the equilibrium P-T phase diagram of HNIW.