Thermal and mechanical reinforcement of a novel paraffin-based hydroxyl-terminated polybutadiene (HTPB) binder containing a three-dimension (3D) diurea–paraffin wax (DU–PW) for prevention of PW leakage

Leakage of paraffin wax (PW) is a major concern in the development of polymer bonded explosive (PBX) systems because it relates to the amount of PW that can be used as a desensitizer or a fuel, which, in turn, affects the mechanical performance and tolerance of PBX in high-temperature environments. Hydroxyl-terminated polybutadiene (HTPB) binders significantly contribute desirable polymer features to PBX. Thus, a three-dimension (3D) high-temperature non-flowing diurea–paraffin wax (DU–PW) composite was synthesized and creatively employed to a HTPB binder. DU–PW/PW/HTPB composites with different contents of the 3D DU–PW phase change material (PCM) were prepared through a cast molding process. The differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) results demonstrate that these composites can show high phase-change enthalpies and good thermal reliability. As observed from the scanning electron microscope (SEM) photographs, adding DU–PW can clearly reduce the number of holes caused by the leaked PW on the fracture surface of DU–PW/HTPB. Moreover, the addition of DU–PW can remarkably reduce the leakage of PW and improve the thermal stability as well as mechanical properties of the PW-based HTPB. These observations present the potential of utilizing form-stable PCM (FSPCM) to solve the problem of PW leakage in PBX systems.