The irreversible thermal expansion of an energetic material

The work deals with a macroscopically isotropic energetic material based on triamino-trinitrobenzene (TATB) crystals bonded small volume fraction of thermoplastic polymer. This is shown experimentally to display an irreversible thermal expansion behavior characterized by dilatancy and variations its coefficient when heated or cooled outside narrow reversibility temperature range. analysis cooling results suggests the existence residual stresses in initial state, attributed manufacturing process. Microstructure-level FFT computations including very strong anisotropic thermoelastic TATB crystal response temperature-dependent binder plasticity, show that internal develop disoriented under load, either heating cooling. Upon cooling, plastic yielding hindered, thus promoting essentially brittle microcracking, while it favored upon heating. Despite low fraction, role essential, causing stress redistribution back ambient.