Theoretical Calculations and Experiments on the Thermal Properties of Fluorinated Graphene and Its Effects on the Thermal Decomposition of Nitrate Esters

Fluorinated graphene contains F atoms with high levels of chemical activity, and the application of fluorinated graphene in energetic materials may greatly contribute to the progress of combustion reactions. However, there is a lack of research on the thermal properties of fluorinated graphene and its application on nitrate esters. In this paper, theoretical calculations and experiments were used to study the thermal properties of fluorinated graphene and its application on nitrate esters. The anaerobicity and poor thermal stability of fluorinated graphene were proved by ab initio molecular dynamics (AIMD) calculations and TG-DSC experiments. The ester weakening effect of fluorinated graphene on nitroglycerin was determined via wavefunction analysis, with the greater the fluorination degree, the stronger the ester weakening effect. The existence of fluorinated graphene can significantly increase the heat dissipation of the composites, which was concluded by TG-DSC experiments and TG-DSC-MS-FTIR. The research in this article provides an important reference for the application of fluorinated graphene in energetic materials.

Automated summary

This paper investigates the thermal properties of fluorinated graphene and its application on nitrate esters. The results demonstrate its anaerobicity and poor thermal stability, as well as its ester weakening effect on nitroglycerin. Furthermore, it is shown that the presence of fluorinated graphene can significantly increase the heat dissipation of composites.