Anisotropic thermal conductivity and elasticity of RDX using impulsive stimulated thermal scattering

Anisotropy of single crystals plays an integral role in meso-scale behavior of materials. In energetic materials, the anisotropy of thermal conductivity and elasticity plays a key role in hot spot generation during dynamic loading, potentially leading to deflagration or detonation. Precise measurements are needed to validate predictive models of these materials during accident scenarios. Toward these goals, we are investigating single crystal orthorhombic 1,3,5-trinitroperhydro-1,3,5-triazine (RDX) using impulsive stimulated thermal scattering (ISTS). Here we present results of the experimentally determined thermal diffusivity and its comparison with the anisotropic values predicted by atomistic simulations, as well as experimentally measured anisotropic acoustic velocities.