Explosive Ordnance Research

Our research focus is on advancing the state of the art in energetic material discovery and manufacture. Here are brief descriptions of two of several available projects: The Additive Manufacture (AM) of energetic structures is an area of intense global interest. A suite of AM techniques leverage the photopolymerisation of acrylate-based prepolymers for the manufacture of complex structures. The resulting polymers are effective fuels. Informed by computational studies, this project will investigate the integration of various oxidants into the formulations to output structures with varying oxygen balance, tailored to particular applications. The performance of these structures will inform the design of subsequent generations of materials. Hydroxylammonium nitrate (HAN) is a topical energetic material with relevance to both rocket propulsion and liquid gun propellants. It has a significantly improved toxicity profile compared with hydrazine and its derivatives. Informed by computational studies, this project will investigate and optimise the preparation of various HAN formulations, their energetic sensitiveness and performance. 

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