Method for the preparation of uniform triaminotrinitrobenzene microparticles

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10723671-B2
Application number	US-201816043800-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 24, 2018
Priority date	Aug 3, 2017
Publication date	Jul 28, 2020
Grant date	Jul 28, 2020

Abstract

A new, rapid and inexpensive synthesis method for monodispersed triaminotrinitrobenzene (TATB) microparticles based on micelle-confined precipitation that enables control of microscopic morphology. The morphology of the TATB microparticles can be tuned between quasi-spherical and faceted by controlling the speed of recrystallization. The method enables improved performance and production consistency of TATB explosives for military grade explosives and propellants

First claim

We claim:

1. A method to synthesize triaminotrinitrobenzene microparticles, comprising:
providing a first solution comprising triaminotrinitrobenzene dissolved in an ionic liquid;
providing a second solution comprising a nonionic surfactant and a solvent that is immiscible in and has a high polarity contrast against the ionic liquid;
mixing the first and the second solutions while being sonicated to form an emulsion comprising micelles of the first solution dispersed in the solvent; and
adding an anti-solvent precipitant to the emulsion to precipitate microparticles of triaminotrinitrobenzene in the micelles.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising separating the microparticles of triaminotrinitrobenzene from the micelles.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the ionic liquid comprises 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the solvent comprises a hydrocarbon.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the hydrocarbon comprises octane.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the surfactant has a hydrophilic-lipophilic balance between 3 and 8.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the surfactant comprises a sorbitan ester, ethoxylated sorbitan ester, or polyethylene glycol alkyl ether.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the anti-solvent precipitant comprises water.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the anti-solvent precipitant comprises an alcohol.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the triaminotrinitrobenzene microparticles are quasi-spherical in shape.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the triaminotrinitrobenzene microparticles are less than 10 microns in diameter.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the triaminotrinitrobenzene microparticles have a triclinic crystal structure.

Assignees

• Nat Tech & Eng Solutions Sandia Llc

Inventors

• Fan Hongyou
• Bian Kaifu
• Rosenberg David
• Alarid Leanne Julia

Classifications

• C06B25/04 Primary

  the nitrated compound being an aromatic · CPC title

• C06B45/02

  comprising particles of diverse size or shape · CPC title

• C06B21/0033

  Shaping the mixture · CPC title

• C06B45/22 Primary

  the coating containing an organic compound · CPC title