Rheological and printability evaluation of melt-cast explosives for fused deposition modeling (FDM) 3D printing

The rheology of melt-cast explosives is vital for the fused deposition modeling (FDM) manufacturing process. To address this problem, the rheological behavior of 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene/1,3,5,7-tetranitro-1,3,5,7-tetraazacyclooctane (TNT/HMX) melt-cast explosives were systematically investigated by a rotational rheometer. The results indicated that the rheological behavior of TNT/HMX melt-cast explosives was strongly influenced by the solid content and temperature. Through the printing experiment, the range of printing parameters that can be applied to fabricate desired explosive grain structures was determined. Besides, the computational fluid dynamic (CFD) and Hagan-Poiseuille formula were used to explore and quantify the printable zone of 3D printing melt-cast explosives. This work could expand the application of 3D printing technology in the field of explosives, propellants, and projectile penetration.