Sonochemically induced decomposition of energetic materials in aqueous media.

This study demonstrates that ultrasound rapidly degrades the energetic compounds RDX (cyclo-1,3,5-trinitramine-2,4,6-trimethylene) and ADN (ammonium dinitramide) in aqueous microheterogeneous media. The conditions for effective degradation of these nitramines, as monitored by UV absorption spectroscopy, were determined by varying sonication time, the heterogeneous phase and its suspension density, and the concentration of NaOH. In the presence of 5 mg/ml of aluminum powder and at pH approximately 12 (10 mM NaOH), 74% of the RDX and 86% of the ammonium dinitramide (ADN) in near-saturated solutions decompose within the first 20 min of sonication (20 kHz; 50 W; < or =5 degrees C).