Molten salt destruction of energetic materials: Emission and absorption measurements

Spectroscopic aspects of decomposition behaviors of the high explosives LX-17 (92.5 wt % 1, 3, 5-triamino-2, 4, 6-trinitrobenzene (TATB) plus 1.5 wt % Kel-F 800 plastic binder), LX-04 (85 wt % octahydro-1, 3, 5, 7-tetranitro-1, 3, 5, 7-tetrazocine (HMX) plus 15 wt % Viton A plastic binder), and 2, 6-Dinitrotoluene (DNT) were investigated when 0.3 or 1.0 g samples were immersed into molten salt baths (700 °C molten LiC1-NaC1-KC1 eutectics). UV-VIS absorption measurements provided an indication of intermediate chemical species present in the salt baths during sample decomposition, and measurements of emission spectra allowed temperatures of soot within reacting DNT gas bubbles to be inferred. The soot temperatures were close to calculated values of adiabatic flame temperatures. In addition to advancing fundamental knowledge, these results are of use for aiding in the design of molten-salt reactors.