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Multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) can ofer high surface area (> 700 m2/g). MWNTs functionalized with energetic groups can find wide applications in advanced energetic systems. We coat MWNTs with copper through electroless plating and subsequently anneal the hybrid Cu-MWNT material at 250 °C to develop CuO-MWNT. TEM micrographs showed that MWNTs of 20–30 nm and 5–10 nm outer and inner diameters and 0.5–2.0 µm length were homogeneously decorated with CuO nanoparticles; XRD diffractograms revealed highly crystalline structure. Since CuO particles can act as effective oxidizer for aluminium in nanothermite applications. CuO-MWNTs were effectively dispersed with aluminium nanoparticles (100 nm) in isopropyl alcohol; subsequently colloidal nanothermite particles were dispersed into molten tri-nitro toluene (TNT). Upon initiation, the nanothermite colloid offered not only an increase in the shock wave strength of TNT by 29% using ballistic mortar test; but also an increae in brisance (destructive effect) by 15.6%. Futhermore the developed hybrid nanothermite offered an increase in the total heat release by 108% using DSC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The surfaces of carbon nanofibers (CNFs) were first pretreated with a catalyst to enable metal deposition and subsequently coated with a nanoscale layer of copper through electroless deposition. The resulting Cu-coated CNF hybrid was annealed at 250 °C to obtain CuO-coated CNFs that were ultrasonically suspended with aluminum nanoparticles (100 nm) in isopropyl alcohol to produce nanothermite colloid; where CuO coating can act as an effective oxidizer for Al nanoparticles. The developed nanothermite colloid was integrated and effectively dispersed in molten tri-nitro toluene (TNT). This novel colloid offers an increase in TNT shock wave strength of by 26% using a ballistic mortar test. Moreover it offers an increase total heat release by 75% using DSC. This is the first time ever to report on nanothermite particles supported on CNFs for highly energetic systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]