Yorty2040
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Oxidizer/2-EHN emulsions
Hello, fellow mad scientists!
I've been interested in making detonable binary mixtures of energetic fuels and oxidizing salts that are cap-sensitive and require no booster and only
minimal confinement (polycarbonate plastic jug or aluminum foil).
As for energetic fuels, 2-ethylhexyl nitrate (aka octyl nitrate, available OTC at 97.5% purity as a cetane booster for diesel fuel) is a nitrate ester
that is liquid at room temperature and much easier to purchase than nitromethane, DNT, and nitrocellulose are.
It begins decomposing at 130C, and autoignites at 215C.
As to oxidizing salts, sodium perchlorate and chlorate are both easy to buy as well as easy to make via electrolysis or disproportionation of bleach.
The balanced stoichiometric equation for perchlorate is 43 mol NaClO4 to 8 mol 2-EHN, or ~3.75:1 on a per-gram basis. An ideal sodium chlorate mixture
would have a molar ratio of 43 to 6, or 4.35g NaClO3 to 1 g EHN.
Of course, stoichiometry isn't everything; I have no practical experience making these mixtures and thus other factors (such as the necessary
machining to make them mix) might control.
My thought is that taking a hot (60C) supersaturated solution of sodium perchlorate (perhaps fresh from the electrolytic cell), adding a small amount
of a surfactant or detergent, then stirring in the 2-EHN as the solution cools (with help from a little dry ice dropped in to speed the cooling and
ensure the crystals are as small as possible) would be the ideal way to ensure the best possible mixing and the strongest product. I'm speculating
here, but would the surfactant make the inevitable water absorption less of an issue? I don't know.
My main concerns, though, are whether doing so would increase power by enough to justify the added effort (as opposed to simply baking the NaClO4 to
dryness, pouring the EHN and NaClO4 into a mixing bowl with a little bit of acetone and stirring them with an electric eggbeater), and if the
perchlorate mixture would be cap-sensitive (0.5g of primary or less).
A mix of acetone, water, perchlorate, and EHN could potentially create an emulsion all on its own, but it wouldn't be stable unless in a sealed
container to prevent evaporation of acetone.
A sodium chlorate mixture would be easier to initiate, though it would be less soluble and thus harder to mix via the surfactant method mentioned
above.
Another mixing method would be to take dry (or at least only slightly damp) oxidizer, a solution of EHN diluted with a solvent, shake them together,
then either allow the diluent to evaporate or use heat to boil it away, keeping the temperature below 60C to minimize decomposition of the EHN. A
low-boiling solvent in which chlorate or perchlorate is slightly soluble, and which has an azeotrope with water, would be ideal. Any ideas for which
one? THF would be perfect if it were easier to get OTC. Ethyl acetate is another candidate, and easy to get OTC, but the b.p. is a bit higher and
might decompose the EHN slightly.
And any thoughts on what initiators would work best for these mixtures? I'd like to keep the cap at 0.5g or less, but I could see going up to 750mg.
[Edited on 13-3-2024 by Yorty2040]
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Laboratory of Liptakov
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For first attempt mixing 79% dry anhydrous NaClO4 + 21% EHN + 5% dH2O. Heated on 70 C, mixing, cooling on 20 C. Booster 1g ETN.
Minimal diameter of charge 30x30 mm. Thats my opinion.....
Development of primarily - secondary substances CHP (2015) Lithex (2022) Brightelite (2023) Nitrocelite (2024)
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dettoo456
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It’s agree with LL regarding the booster; pretty much any binary EM will require a booster of some sort for reliable initiation. 750mg, even of
something like 5-NTz likely wouldn’t be enough.
I wouldn’t try to heat up the solution past 50C though IMO. And I’d try to use AP (in at least some % of the final composition) if you can get
ahold of it.
A surfactant would be helpful, or maybe a thickener like xanthan gum (to congeal excess water and raise the viscosity if the mixture).
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Yorty2040
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So here's what I'm thinking:
Take the hot electrolysis mixture (which will contain some chlorate that will serve as a sensitizer), boil it to supersaturation, let it cool to 40C,
stir in a little bit of sodium lauryl sulfate to act as an emulsifier, then the EHN (diluted slightly with acetone), then add powdered aluminium
flakes with strong stirring, then add xanthan gum until the mixture hardens up enough for the aluminium to stay in suspension instead of falling to
the bottom.
What kinds of ratios would you recommend for this project, and what kind of initiator? I'm thinking of making 50g-100g to start.
I can't find solubility data for NaClO4 above 40C...
[Edited on 13-3-2024 by Yorty2040]
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dettoo456
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50-100g of the binary? Or 50-100g of a booster?
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Yorty2040
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The binary.
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