Synthesis and Characterization of Dinitro Pyrazole Based Energetic Plasticizers for Applications in Energetic Formulations

Energetic formulations are useful for applications in explosives, gunpowder and solid rocket propellants. Plasticizers are used in energetic formulations to make them more flexible into a material suitable for detonation. One plasticizer, bis-(2,2-dinitropropyl)acetal/formal (BDNPA/F), has been studied and used in formulations, but has issues with hydrolysis and low decomposition temperature. To solve these problems, dinitro pyrazole based energetic plasticizers are an alternative to BDNPA/F, due to their different linkages within the parent structure and higher decomposition temperature. This work investigates the use of dinitro pyrazoles as a monomer unit to synthesize a series of new energetic plasticizers via UV radical catalyzed polymerization. All materials presented here are characterized using NMR, FT-IR, HRMS, GPC, and tested for sensitivity properties. Further work investigating polymerization rate is underway to determine how these energetic plasticizers form in specific size ranges.