In situ optical monitoring of RDX nanoparticles formation during rapid expansion of supercritical CO2 solutions

Takuya Matsunaga; Andrei V. Chernyshev; Evgeni N. Chesnokov; Lev N. Krasnoperov

doi:10.1039/B707833C

In situ optical monitoring of RDX nanoparticles formation during rapid expansion of supercritical CO₂ solutions

Takuya Matsunaga,^a Andrei V. Chernyshev,^b Evgeni N. Chesnokov^b and Lev N. Krasnoperov*^a

* Corresponding authors

^a Department of Chemistry and Environmental Science, New Jersey Institute of Technology, University Heights, Newark, USA
E-mail: Krasnoperov@adm.njit.edu
Fax: +1 973 596 3586

^b Institute of Chemical Kinetics and Combustion, Institutskaya 3, Novosibirsk, Russia

Abstract

Nanoparticles of RDX (cyclotrimethylenetrinitramine) generated by RESS (rapid expansion of supercritical solutions) using supercritical CO₂ were characterized in situ by a pulsed laser light scattering imaging technique using a gated ICCD (intensified CCD) camera. The absolute sensitivity calibration was performed using Rayleigh light scattering from air as well as light scattering from standard polystyrene spheres. The size distribution functions of the particles formed in the RESS jet were determined using the calibrated sensitivity. The diameter of RDX particles formed at the pre-expansion pressure of 180 bar was 73 nm at the maximum of the size distribution function. Assuming that the particles near the nozzle consisted mainly of CO₂ and the size distribution was log-normal, the diameter of the particles near the nozzle (7.5 mm from the nozzle) at the distribution maximum was 3.3 μm at the pre-expansion pressure of 180 bar. The number densities of the particles in the RESS jet were determined by counting individual particles in the light scattering images. Based on the measured particle size distributions and the number density of particles along the RESS jet, the mechanism of particle formation in RESS is discussed. The homogeneous nucleation mechanism is rejected as it fails to explain the large particle size experimentally observed. Instead, a modified “spray-drying” mechanism is suggested.

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Publication details

The article was received on 23 May 2007, accepted on 09 Jul 2007 and first published on 21 Aug 2007

Article type: Paper

DOI: 10.1039/B707833C

Citation: Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2007,9, 5249-5259

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In situ optical monitoring of RDX nanoparticles formation during rapid expansion of supercritical CO₂ solutions

T. Matsunaga, A. V. Chernyshev, E. N. Chesnokov and L. N. Krasnoperov, Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2007, 9, 5249
DOI: 10.1039/B707833C
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Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics

In situ optical monitoring of RDX nanoparticles formation during rapid expansion of supercritical CO₂ solutions

Abstract

Supplementary files

Publication details

In situ optical monitoring of RDX nanoparticles formation during rapid expansion of supercritical CO₂ solutions

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