| About this Abstract |
| Meeting |
2025 TMS Annual Meeting & Exhibition
|
| Symposium
|
Biological Materials Science
|
| Presentation Title |
Biologically Inspired Mechanical Reinforcement of Plastic Bonded Explosives |
| Author(s) |
Matthew J. Herman, John D Yeager, Erik Watkins |
| On-Site Speaker (Planned) |
Matthew J. Herman |
| Abstract Scope |
Technological advancement is often inspired by nature, promoting scientists and engineers to continually attempt to develop new material systems based on materials found in nature. To strongly bind themselves to various marine surfaces, mussels produce a strong adhesive protein that is high in dopamine chemical unit concentration. Plastic-bonded explosives (PBX) are polymer matrix composites that are highly loaded with micron-scale explosive crystals. A limiting mechanical factor in a PBX is the interface between the polymer binder system and the crystalline explosive. Synthetic dopamine, capable of undergoing self-polymerization under ambient conditions and becoming polydopamine (PDA), has been demonstrated to form controllable nanometer thickness films which has been shown to promote the adhesion between the filler and binder system. Neutron reflectometry (NR), performed on the Asterix beamline at the Los Alamos Neutron Science Center, has been employed to demonstrate the controllable nature of PDA film growth and the film’s structure. |
| Proceedings Inclusion? |
Planned: |
| Keywords |
Characterization, Composites, Biomaterials |