Effect of energetic materials wettability on their outdoor effective elution rate

Lapointe, MC; Martel, R; Lange, SF; Coté, S

HERO ID

3211929

Reference Type

Journal Article

Year

2016

Language

English

PMID

26985872

HERO ID 3211929
In Press No
Year 2016
Title Effect of energetic materials wettability on their outdoor effective elution rate
Authors Lapointe, MC; Martel, R; Lange, SF; Coté, S
Journal Journal of Hazardous Materials
Volume 311
Page Numbers 194-202
Abstract Energetic materials (EM) contained in military ammunitions have been found in the surface soil and water of training areas and may potentially represent a threat to human health and the environment. EM wettability is an essential physical parameter to characterize because it controls EM dissolution rate. This paper was conducted to determine the wettability of conventional and new EM formulations used in military ammunition. Wettability was estimated in the laboratory via contact angle measurements of water droplets on different EM surfaces. Results show that 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT), 1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazinane (RDX), Octol and energetic thermoplastic elastomer (ETPE) 1000 are hydrophilic while Composition B, XRT, GIM, CX-85, ETPE 2000, and C4 are hydrophobic whereas HELOVA gun propellant has a mixed wettability oscillating between hydrophilic and hydrophobic. The present study demonstrates that wettability of EM formulation is generally controlled by their matrix constituents. Results indicate that hydrophobic formulations have a much slower outdoor environmental effective elution rate than hydrophilic ones, with the exception of the hydrophobic C4 formulation whose elution rate is extremely high. The addition of hydrophobic components into EM formulations is recommended to diminish the environmental impact on water, as it has already been done with XRT, GIM and CX-85 formulations.
Doi 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2016.02.075
Pmid 26985872
Wosid WOS:000375630300022
Url https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0304389416302096
Is Certified Translation No
Dupe Override No
Is Public Yes
Language Text English
Keyword Contact angle; Elution rate; Energetic formulation; Environment; Wettability