Energetic compositions and methods of forming components from the compositions are provided. In one embodiment, a composition includes aluminum, molybdenum trioxide, potassium perchlorate, and a binder. In one embodiment, the binder may include a silicone material. The materials may be mixed with a solvent, such as xylene, de-aired, shaped and cured to provide a self-supporting structure. In one embodiment, one or more reinforcement members may be added to provide additional strength to the structure. For example, a weave or mat of carbon fiber material may be added to the mixture prior to curing. In one embodiment, blade casting techniques may be used to form a structure. In another embodiment, a structure may be formed using 3-dimensional printing techniques.

Additive Manufacturing (AM) is used to make aids that target the training of K-9s to detect explosives. The process uses mixtures of explosives and matrices commonly used in AM. The explosives are formulated into a mixture with the matrix and printed using AM techniques and equipment. The explosive concentrations are kept less than 10% by wt. of the mixture to conform to requirements of shipping and handling.

A multi-compartment microcapsule produces heat when subjected to a stimulus (e.g., a compressive force, a magnetic field, or combinations thereof). In some embodiments, the multi-compartment microcapsules have first and second compartments separated by an isolating structure adapted to rupture in response to the stimulus, wherein the first and second compartments contain reactants that come in contact and react to produce heat when the isolating structure ruptures. In some embodiments, the multi-compartment microcapsules are shell-in-shell microcapsules each having an inner shell contained within an outer shell, wherein the inner shell defines the isolating structure and the outer shell does not allow the heat-generating chemistry to escape the microcapsule upon rupture of the inner shell.

Additive Manufacturing (AM) is used to make mimics for explosives. The process uses mixtures of explosives and matrices commonly used in AM. The explosives are formulated into a mixture with the matrix and printed using AM techniques and equipment. The explosive concentrations are kept less than 10% by wt. of the mixture to conform to requirements of shipping and handling.

Provided is a melt-castable binder useful for stabilizing high energy explosive materials. A melt-castable nitramine binder has high energy in its own right yet is very insensitive to accidental detonation such as by shock or friction. The melt-castable nitramine binder is optionally combined with one or more high energy materials in the formation of an explosive composition with improved energy yield and safety and handling parameters relative to the high energy material alone.

A substantially cylindrical gas-generating pyrotechnical monolithic block has a thickness no lower than 10 mm, an equivalent diameter no lower than 10 mm, and a porosity lower than 5%; and a composition, given as weight percentages, which contains, for at least 94% of the weight thereof: +77.5% to 92.5% of guanidine nitrate, +5% to 10% of basic copper nitrate, and +2.5% to 12.5% of at least one inorganic titanate with a melting temperature higher than 2100 K.

Solid-fuel rocket propellants comprising an oxidizer, an oxophilic metal-halophilic metal formulation, and a binder are described herein. Further described are processes for preparing such propellants and methods of reducing hydrogen chloride production via the combustion of such propellants. Non-limiting examples of such formulations include aluminum-lithium alloys.

Provided is a high pressure polymorph of croconic acid. The high pressure polymorph of croconic acid has an unexpectedly high energy release and is suitable for use in detonable compositions. The high pressure polymorph of croconic acid is recoverable to ambient conditions and exhibits only a modest increase in density but a greatly improved energy release.

A method for making high density fuels including, heating a renewable plant oil, triglyceride, or fatty acid with at least one first acid catalyst to generate a first mixture of alkyladamantanes, increasing reaction time or adding at least one second catalysts to a first mixture of alkyladamantanes to produce a second alkyladamantane mixture, separating methyl, ethyl, propyl, and/or butyl adamantanes from a second alkyladamantane mixture to produce a third adamantane mixture to produce fuels.

A priming mixture is described, comprising aluminum silicate in a quantity not exceeding 30% and preferably in a quantity ranging from 15 to 25% by weight, titanium in a quantity ranging from 1 to 10%, preferably from 2 to 7% by weight, samarium oxide in a quantity ranging from 5 to 20%, preferably from 8 to 16% by weight, all quantities referring to the total weight of the priming mixture.