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Science and Technology of Energetic Materials

Vol.66, No.6 (2005)Special Issue for ISEM 2005

Research paper

Crystal shape control of RDX using supercritical carbon dioxide
Shinichi Matsuzaki, Toshihiro Okitsu, Kiyoshi Ouchi, Katsuto Otake, Takehiro Matsunaga, and Shuzo Fujiwara
p.436-442

Abstract

This report provides micronization process of cyclotrimethylenetrinitramine (RDX) with using supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO2) as anti-solvent. In the process, RDX solution (RDX/cyclohexanone or RDX/acetone) and scCO2 were introduced into the precipitation cell through a coaxial double tube. The effect of process parameters such as pressure, temperature, the flow rate of scCO2 and the solution, and the inner diameter of the coaxial double tube were examined to control the shape and the size of RDX crystal. Plate-like, needle-like, granular, and irregular shaped RDX crystals were obtained with changing the arrangement of the external and the internal tube that compose the coaxial double tube, and controlling the process parameters. The mean particle size of RDX crystal has been controlled within the range from 2 to 10 μm, and it depended on the flow rate of scCO2 and the clearance between the external and the internal tubes that compose the coaxial double tube. Experimental results were discussed from the viewpoint of mass transfer, vapor-liquid equilibrium, and Reynolds number.

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Keywords

RDX, Supercritical carbon dioxide, Crystal shape, Mass transfer, Vapor-liquid equilibrium, Reynolds number

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