Influence of HMX particle size on the synthesis of nanodiamonds in detonation waves

The effect of the particle size of HMX in alloys with TNT on the synthesis of nanodiamonds in a detonation wave was studied experimentally. Mixtures with a TNT content of 40 to 90% and the specific surface area of HMX varied in the range of 5–510 m$^2$/kg were investigated. For all mixtures, an increase in the particle size of HMX was found to lead to an increase in the yield of nanodiamonds with the maximum yield shift toward alloys with increased TNT content. The results are explained using a model based on the absence of thermodynamic equilibrium between the components of the heterogeneous explosive during detonation.