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Improved thermal stability and reduced sublimation rate of pentaerythritol tetranitrate through doping graphene oxide

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Abstract

Various graphene oxide (GO)–pentaerythritol tetranitrate (PETN) micro-composites were prepared in this study to investigate the influence of nanomaterials on the stability of PETN. Differential scanning calorimetry analysis showed that PETN microcrystals become more stable after doping with GO. Additionally, thermogravimetric analysis indicated that sublimation rates and vapor pressures of various GO–PETN micro-composites were significantly reduced compared to pure PETN microcrystals. Scanning electron microscopy images indicated that PETN microcrystals were at least partially covered with GO, which may explain the increased thermal stability and reduced sublimation rate.

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Notes

  1. This work has been partly published in 42nd North American Thermal Analysis Society (NATAS) conference.

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Acknowledgements

The authors are grateful for support received from the Office of Naval Research (ONR) under Award Number N00014-11-1-0424 and the US Department of Homeland Security under Award Number 2008-ST-061-ED0001.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemical Engineering, Texas Tech University, 6th and Canton, Lubbock, TX, 79409, USA

    Xin Zhang & Brandon L. Weeks

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  1. Xin Zhang
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  2. Brandon L. Weeks
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Correspondence to Xin Zhang or Brandon L. Weeks.

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Zhang, X., Weeks, B.L. Improved thermal stability and reduced sublimation rate of pentaerythritol tetranitrate through doping graphene oxide. J Therm Anal Calorim 122, 1061–1067 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10973-015-5005-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10973-015-5005-2

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