Improved mechanical properties of highly explosive‐filled polymer composites through graphene nanoplatelets.

The two‐dimensional graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs) were adopted to improve the mechanical behaviors of polymer bonded explosives (PBX). Five 1,3,5‐triamino‐2,4,6‐trinitrobenzene (TATB)‐based PBX formulations without or with 0.05, 0.15, 0.5, and 1% GNPs by weight were prepared by the water suspension methods. The morphology and distribution of GNPs in PBX were investigated by a field emission‐scanning electron microscope and transmission electron microscope. The quasi‐static mechanical analysis of PBX by Brazilian and uniaxial compression tests revealed that the fracture strength and fracture strain were improved obviously with the addition of GNPs. The creep behaviors of neat PBX and modified PBX by GNPs were also investigated at different temperatures and stresses by the three‐point bending mode. The results indicated that, with the incorporation of only a small amount of GNPs, the creep resistance could be significantly improved due to the confinement effect of GNPs. Simultaneously, the creep behaviors were simulated using a six‐element mechanical model. The predicted theoretical results coincided quite well with the experimental data. At last, the effect of GNPs on the long‐term creep performance of PBX was predicted using the time‐temperature superposition principle. The modified PBX by GNPs showed consistently lower creep strain than the neat PBX in the entire time scale. POLYM. COMPOS., 39:3924–3934, 2018. © 2017 Society of Plastics Engineers [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]