The polymorphic phase of 1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazine (RDX) was examined as a function of mass loading, solvent and sample deposition technique. When RDX was deposited at a high mass loading, the vibrational modes in the obtained Raman spectra were indicative of concomitant polymorphism as both the α and β-RDX phases were present. At low mass loadings, only β-RDX was observed regardless of solvent or mass loading. However, only the bulk phase (i.e., α- RDX) was observed when RDX deposits were dry transferred. Observation of the bulk phase was independent of the initial mass loading or the initial deposition solvent when using the dry transfer methodology. This data demonstrates that the use of the dry transfer preparation method can be used to successfully prepare RDX-based standards with the bulk phase regardless of the solvent used to initially dissolve the RDX, the initial deposition technique, or the mass loading.

Date Published: 12 May 2016
PDF: 7 pages
Proc. SPIE 9824, Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, and Explosives (CBRNE) Sensing XVII, 982418 (12 May 2016); doi: 10.1117/12.2223837

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 9824:
Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, and Explosives (CBRNE) Sensing XVII
Augustus Way Fountain III, Editor(s)