Effect of Armoring Composition on the Yield of Nanodiamonds and Content of Impurities

Abstract

Efficiency of using detonation nanodiamonds is strongly affected by the amount and elemental composition of impurities. The study considers the possibility of affecting the yield of detonation nanodiamonds and diamond-containing stock and the content and composition of incombustible impurities in the stock and diamonds by varying the composition of the water armor (shell) of the classical TNT–hexogen (50/50) charge. As compounds affecting the above parameters were used hydrazine, urotropin, ammonia, urea, Trilon B (disodium salt of ethylene diamine tetraacetic acid), aminotetrazole, and boric acid. It was found that using urotropin was the optimal as regards a whole set of parameters. In this case, the maximum yield of detonation nanodiamonds (6.9%) and diamond-containing stock (13.4%) was obtained. A close yield of the diamond-containing stock and detonation nanodiamonds was provided by using hydrazine and urea in the armor. Use of boric acid in the armor can substantially diminish the variety of impurity elements in the diamond-containing stock and detonation nanodiamonds at an acceptable yield of the diamond-containing stock (11.1%) and detonation nanodiamonds (6.13%). Use of pure water as the armor is inefficient.