Sciencemadness Discussion Board

explosive polymers

bob000555 - 13-6-2008 at 13:01

Does anyone have any information on explosive polymers for example:
Polyvinyl Peroxymonoslufate
Polyvinyl Peracetate
Polyvinyl Nitrate
Polyvinyl Perchlorate
Polyvinyl chlorate
Nitropolystyrine
I suspect all the former could be prepared by the reaction of the respective acid with polyvinyl alcohol and the latter could be prepared by the nitration of the phenyl groups of polystyrene.

hinz - 13-6-2008 at 16:47

You forgot the most common one: cellulose hexanitrate (nitrocellulose).
Most of those polymers you mentioned aren't stable / don't exist, like Polyvinyl chlorate.
The explosive properties of the existing ones aren't superior, so if you want to do some pyro, use the classical ones. Some nitrated polymers like nitrated polystyrene are used as binder in compositions.

The_Davster - 13-6-2008 at 17:08

http://www.roguesci.org/chemlab/energetics/PVN.html
http://www.roguesci.org/chemlab/energetics/DNPA_polymer.html
http://www.roguesci.org/chemlab/energetics/dinitropolystyren...

Most of what you proposed would not exist, and other than PVN, could not be prepared by simple reactions with acids.

Note the det velocities, especially the polystyrene nitration product...1500m/s...not exactly interesting stuff.