Nitro-tetrazole based high performing explosives: Recent overview of synthesis and energetic properties

Heterocyclic skeleton (Azoles) and different energetic groups containing high performing explosives are highly emerged in recent years to meet the challenging requirements of energetic materials in both military and civilian applications with improved performance. For this purpose tetrazole (Azole) is identified as an attractive heterocyclic backbone with energetic functional groups nitro (-NO₂), nitrato (-ONO₂), nitrimino (-NNO₂), and nitramino (–NH–NO₂) to replace the traditionally used high performing explosives. The tetrazole based compounds having these energetic functional groups demonstrated advanced energetic performance (detonation velocity and pressure), densities, and heat of formation (HOF) and became a potential replacement of traditional energetic compounds such as RDX. This review presents a summary of the recently reported nitro-tetrazole energetic compounds containing poly-nitro, di/mono-nitro, nitrato/nitramino/nitrimino, bridged/bis/di tetrazole and nitro functional groups, describing their preparation methods, advance energetic properties, and further applications as high-performing explosives, especially those reported in the last decade. This review aims to provide a fresh concept for designing nitro-tetrazole based high performing explosives together with major challenges and perspectives.     

Study on energy release characteristics of reactive material casings under explosive loading

Reactive Materials (RMs), a new material with structural and energy release characteristics under shock-induced chemical reactions, are promising in extensive applications in national defense and military fields. They can increase the lethality of warheads due to their dual functionality. This paper focuses on the energy release characteristics of RM casings prepared by alloy melting and casting process under explosive loading. Explosion experiments of RM and conventional 2A12 aluminum alloy casings were conducted in free field to capture the explosive fireballs, temperature distribution, peak overpressure of the air shock wave and the fracture morphology of fragments of reactive material (RM) warhead casings by using high-speed camera, infrared thermal imager temperature and peak overpressure testing and scanning electron microscope. Results showed that an increase of both the fireball temperature and air shock wave were observed in all RM casings compared to conventional 2A12 aluminum ally casings. The RM casings can improve the peak overpressure of the air shock wave under explosion loading, though the results are different with different charge ratios. According to the energy release characteristics of the RM, increasing the thickness of RM casings will increase the peak overpressure of the near-field air shock wave, while reducing the thickness will increase the peak overpressure of the far-field air shock wave.     

Improvement of VIS and IR camouflage properties by impregnating cotton fabric with PVB/IF-WS2

In order to examine the possibility to improve its camouflage properties standard cotton fabric with camouflage print was impregnated with poly(vinyl butyral), PVB and fullerene-like nanoparticles of tungsten disulfide, PVB/IF-WS₂. FTIR analysis excluded any possible chemical interaction of IF-WS₂ with PVB and the fabric. The camouflage behavior of the impregnated fabric has been examined firstly in the VIS part of the spectrum. Diffuse reflection, specular gloss and color coordinates were measured for three different shades (black, brown and dark green). Thermal imaging was applied to examine the camouflage abilities of this impregnation in IR part of the spectrum. The obtained results show that PVB/IF-WS₂ impregnation system induced enhacement of the materials camouflage properties, i.e. that IF-WS₂ have a positive effect on spectrophotometric characteristics of the fabric.     

Chain damage effects of multi-spaced plates by reactive jet impact

Chain damage is a new phenomenon that occurs when a reactive jet impacts and penetrates multi-spaced plates.The reactive jet produces mechanical perforations on the spaced plates by its kinetic energy(KE),and then results in unusual chain rupturing effects and excessive structural damage on the spaced plates by its deflagration reaction.In the present study,the chain damage behavior is initially demonstrated by experiments.The reactive liners,composed of 26 wt％Al and 74 wt％PTFE,are fabricated through a pressing and sintering process.Three reactive liner thicknesses of 0.08 CD,0.10 CD and 0.12 CD(charge diameter)are chosen to carry out the chain damage experiments.The results show a chain rupturing phenomenon caused by reactive jet.The constant reaction delay time and the different penetration velocities of reactive jets from liners with different thicknesses result in the variation of the deflagration position,which consequently determines the number of ruptured plates behind the armor.Then,the finite-element code AUTODYN-3D has been used to simulate the kinetic energy only-induced rupturing effects on plates,based on the mechanism of behind armor debris(BAD).The significant discrepancies between simulations and experiments indicate that one enhanced damage mechanism,the behind armor blast(BAB),has acted on the ruptured plates.Finally,a theoretical model is used to consider the BAB-induced enhancement,and the analysis shows that the rupturing area on aluminum plates depends strongly upon the KE only-induced pre-perforations,the mass of reactive materials,and the thickness of plates.     

PREVENTING DIRTY BOMBS

Radioactive sealed sources have a long history and a much wider worldwide distribution than do weapons-usable fissile materials. This article compares the mechanisms for controlling radioactive sources with those of weapons-usable materials and makes the case for improved policy making on the safe and secure management of radioactive sources (often referred to simply as “sources”). Such sources have been widely distributed with commercial and government support to nearly every country, yet there are no legally binding, international agreements or regulations to control any aspect of their life cycle. This is problematic because some sources that are disused, abandoned, or otherwise fall out of regulatory control could be used in the form of a radiological dispersal device (RDD, or dirty bomb). An RDD could pose significant economic and psychological impacts with the potential for detrimental effects on public health. The lack of international measures to control sources is troubling for several reasons: creating an RDD is much easier than fashioning a nuclear weapon from scratch or from stolen fissile materials; given the many incidents involving diversion from regulatory control and the misuse of sources, an RDD attack would be one of the more likely scenarios; materials security for sources is generally weak and inconsistent; it is nearly impossible to determine the total amount of sources manufactured and distributed; used sources are frequently found uncontrolled and transiting borders, and penalties are light at best; the market-based supply and demand of sources facilitates their rapid and loosely regulated distribution; and the “peaceful uses” aspect of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons along with norms that began developing around the time of Atoms for Peace have promoted the nearly unchecked global distribution of sources. Several immediate and long-term actions are suggested to reduce the threat posed by radiological sources.     

ORGANIZED CRIME AND THE TRAFFICKING OF RADIOLOGICAL MATERIALS

Based on unique empirical data, including interviews with smugglers of radiological materials and the investigators who track them, this article discusses nuclear smuggling trends in the former Soviet republic of Georgia. Smuggling in Georgia mainly involves opportunist smugglers and amateurs, as opposed to professional criminals and terrorists; however, this does not mean that radiological smuggling is devoid of professionalism or organization. The article demonstrates that professional criminals are rarely involved in smuggling due to the unreliable nature of the market for radiological materials and the threat radiological smuggling could pose to professional criminals' ability to wield political power and operate legal commercial enterprises.     

Deferred verification: verifiable declarations of fissile-material stocks for disarmament purposes

ABSTRACT

Nuclear disarmament is often seen as eventually requiring access to nuclear warheads or to the warhead-dismantlement process to verify that a state has not hidden weapons or weapon-materials despite promising to disarm. This article suggests this view is misplaced, and that what is needed is a verification mechanism able to provide reliable assurances of the absence of fissile materials available for use in weapons after a state has disarmed. Such a mechanism will need an initial declaration of the amount of fissile materials held by a state for all purposes, military and civilian. In a state with a nuclear arsenal awaiting elimination, this declaration would have to include materials that may not be available for verification because they are in nuclear weapons or are in other classified or proliferation-sensitive forms. This article describes a verification arrangement that does not require access to materials in weapons and in sensitive forms while still allowing checks on the overall accuracy of the declaration. Verification of the completeness and correctness of the declaration is deferred to the time when the weapons-relevant material enters the disposition process, at which point it no longer has any sensitive attributes. By removing the focus on monitoring warheads and dismantlement, this new approach could provide a more manageable path to nuclear disarmament.     

Investigation of the shock compression behaviors of Al/PTFE composites with experimental and a 3D mesoscale-model

The responses of AI/PTFE reactive materials (RMs) under shock compression were investigated by a single-stage gas gun.A 3D mesoscale-model was established based on micro-computed tomography(micro-CT) slice images and confirmed with experimental results.In the high-pressure stage,the com-posites reacted partially,whereas there were no deviations between the partially reacted Hugoniot and the inert simulation results.The simulation reveals that the Teflon matrix melting on the high shock pressure.Melts and decomposition of the PTFE accelerated the diffusion of the atoms.Thus,the reactions of the Al/PrFE composites are more like a combustion rather than a detonation.     

新型夜瞄复合荧光材料在步兵轻武器中的应用研究

采用自制的复合荧光粉体和化学载体成分,研制出一种步兵轻武器新型夜瞄复合荧光材料.试验研究和实际使用结果表明,研制的新材料发光时间长、亮度高,具有良好的耐温、耐腐蚀性能,不受轻武器的日常使用和维护影响,可满足步兵轻武器夜间瞄准需求.     

Maximizing deviation method for multiple attribute decision making under q-rung orthopair fuzzy environment

Because of the uncertainty and subjectivity of decision makers in the complex decision-making environment, the evaluation information of alternatives given by decision makers is often fuzzy and uncertain. As a generalization of intuitionistic fuzzy set (IFSs) and Pythagoras fuzzy set (PFSs), q-rung orthopair fuzzy set (q-ROFS) is more suitable for expressing fuzzy and uncertain information. But, in actual multiple attribute decision making (MADM) problems, the weights of DMs and attributes are always completely unknown or partly known, to date, the maximizing deviation method is a good tool to deal with such issues. Thus, combine the q-ROFS and conventional maximizing deviation method, we will study the maximizing deviation method under q-ROFSs and q-RIVOFSs in this paper. Firstly, we briefly introduce the basic concept of q-rung orthopair fuzzy sets (q-ROFSs) and q-rung interval-valued orthopair fuzzy sets (q-RIVOFSs). Then, combine the maximizing deviation method with q-rung orthopair fuzzy information, we establish two new decision making models. On this basis, the proposed models are applied to MADM problems with q-rung orthopair fuzzy information. Compared with existing methods, the effectiveness and superiority of the new model are analyzed. This method can effectively solve the MADM problem whose decision information is represented by q-rung orthopair fuzzy numbers (q-ROFNs) and whose attributes are incomplete.