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We probe shock-induced chemistry in two organic liquids by measuring broadband, midinfrared absorption in the 800–1400 cm−1 frequency range. To test this new method and understand the signatures of chemical reactions in time resolved vibrational spectra, we compared liquid benzene shocked to unreactive conditions (shocked to a pressure of 18 GPa for a duration of 300 ps) to nitromethane under reactive conditions (25 GPa). We see clear signatures of shock-induced chemistry that are distinguishable from the pressure- and temperature-induced changes in vibrational mode shapes. While shocked benzene shows primarily a broadening and shifting of the vibrational modes, the nitromethane vibrational modes vanish once the shock wave enters the liquid and simultaneously, a spectrally broad feature appears that we interpret as the infrared spectrum of the complex mixture of product and intermediate species. To further interpret these measurements, we compare them to reactive quantum molecular dynamics simulations, which gives qualitatively consistent results. This work demonstrates a promising method for time resolving shock-induced chemistry, illustrating that chemical reactions produce distinct changes in the vibrational spectra. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Isothermal compression of poly (dimethylsiloxane), 1,4-poly(butadiene), and a model Estane® (in both pure form and a nitroplasticized composition similar to PBX-9501 binder) at pressures up to 100 kbars has been studied using atomistic molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. Comparison of predicted compression, bulk modulus, and Us-up behavior with experimental static and dynamic compression data available in the literature reveals good agreement between experiment and simulation, indicating that MD simulations utilizing simple quantum-chemistry-based potentials can be used to accurately predict the behavior of polymers at relatively high pressure. Despite their very different zero-pressure bulk moduli, the compression, modulus, and Us-up behavior (including low-pressure curvature) for the three polymers could be reasonably described by the Tait equation of state (EOS) utilizing the universal C parameter. The Tait EOS was found to provide an excellent description of simulation PVT data when the C parameter was optimized for each polymer. The Tait EOS parameters, namely, the zero-pressure bulk modulus and the C parameter, were found to correlate well with free volume for these polymers as measured in simulations by a simple probe insertion algorithm. Of the polymers studied, PDMS was found to have the most free volume at low pressure, consistent with its lower ambient pressure bulk modulus and greater increase in modulus with increasing pressure (i.e., crush-up behavior). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pressure–volume–temperature (PVT) equation-of-state (EOS) information for polymers and polymeric composites is valuable for predicting their response to extreme conditions. An obstacle in determining equations of state for polymeric materials is the lack of a simple, static experimental method for acquiring PVT data for solid networks and liquids at pressures greater than several kilobars. Here, we report a novel approach in determining static EOS for polymers using high-pressure diamond-anvil cells coupled with optical microscopy and image analysis. Results are presented for a cross-linked poly(dimethylsiloxane) polymer, SylgardR 184. Static isothermal results were fitted to empirical and semiempirical equations of state, including the Tait, Birch–Murnaghan, and Vinet forms. Static PV data were also converted to pseudoshock velocity–pseudoparticle velocity (Us–up) for comparison to dynamic Hugoniot data. A linear Rankine–Hugoniot fit Us=sTup+cT gives cT=1.572 km/s and sT=1.703. sT is related to the pressure derivative of the bulk modulus B0′ by sT=(B0′+1)/4 and B0′=5.8. A comparison of the static and shock data is given, along with an estimate of the Grüneisen parameter, and a discussion of the free volume content in the polymer network, and limitations of this novel method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We use the recently developed reactive force field ReaxFF with molecular dynamics to study thermal induced chemistry in RDX [cyclic-[CH2N(NO2)]3] at various temperatures and densities. We find that the time evolution of the potential energy can be described reasonably well with a single exponential function from which we obtain an overall characteristic time of decomposition that increases with decreasing density and shows an Arrhenius temperature dependence. These characteristic timescales are in reasonable quantitative agreement with experimental measurements in a similar energetic material, HMX [cyclic-[CH2N(NO2)]4]. Our simulations show that the equilibrium population of CO and CO2 (as well as their time evolution) depend strongly of density: at low density almost all carbon atoms form CO molecules; as the density increases larger aggregates of carbon appear leading to a C deficient gas phase and the appearance of CO2 molecules. The equilibrium populations of N2 and H2O are more insensitive with respect to density and form in the early stages of the decomposition process with similar timescales. © 2005 American Institute of Physics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]