Coupled phase transformation, chemical decomposition, and deformation in plastic-bonded explosive: Simulations

Numerical simulations of the heating with constant rate of a PBX plastic-bonded explosive 9501 formulation consisting of the energetic crystal HMX embedded in a polymeric binder inside of a rigid cylinder is performed. The continuum thermo-mechanochemical model of the behavior of a PBX 9501 developed in the preceding paper V. I. Levitas, B. F. Henson, L. B. Smilowitz, D. K. Zerkle, and B. W. Asay, J. Appl. Phys. 102, 113502 2007 is applied. The model describes the ↔ phase transformations in crystalline HMX, chemical decomposition of the HMX and binder leading to gas formation, gas leaking from the cylinder, elastic, thermal, and transformational straining, as well as straining due to mass loss. We study the kinetics of the ↔ phase transformations and pressure buildup, as well as how they are affected by the heating rate, initial porosity and prestrain, HMX and binder decomposition, and gas leaking rule. © 2007 American Institute of Physics. DOI: 10.1063/1.2822096