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Thermal Expansion of HMX

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Abstract

Thermal expansion of the β-phase of 1,3,5,7-tetranitro-1,3,5,7-tetrazocane (β-HMX, C4H8N8O8) was studied in the temperature range of −150 to 30 °C. β-HMX is monoclinic (a = 6.5255(10) Å, b = 11.0369(18) Å, c = 7.3640(12) Å, and β = 102.67(1)°), space group P21/n. On cooling from room temperature to −150 °C the crystal under goes an anisotropic contraction with the a-axis virtually unchanged while the b and c axes contract by approximately 1.8 and 0.6% respectively. The disproportionate change in the a and c axes results in approximately a 0.4% change in the β angle. Despite the large differences in expansion along the different axes no phase change was observed.

Graphical Abstract

β-HMX (C4H8N8O8) exhibits anisotropic thermal expansion in the temperature range of −150–30 °C with the a axis virtually unchanged but does not undergo a phase change.

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported in part by the Office of Naval Research and the Naval Research Laboratory. The authors would like to thank Dr. Anthony Malanoski for his assistance in assessing how errors in the unit cell determination affect the calculated expansion coefficients. The views expressed herein are those of the authors and do not reflect those of the US Navy or the US Department of Defense.

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  1. Naval Research Laboratory, Code 6930, 4555 Overlook Avenue, Washington, DC, 20375, USA

    Jeffrey R. Deschamps, Mark Frisch & Damon Parrish

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  1. Jeffrey R. Deschamps
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  2. Mark Frisch
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  3. Damon Parrish
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Correspondence to Jeffrey R. Deschamps.

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Deschamps, J.R., Frisch, M. & Parrish, D. Thermal Expansion of HMX. J Chem Crystallogr 41, 966–970 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10870-011-0026-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10870-011-0026-6

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