Physico-chemical measurements of CL-20 for environmental applications: Comparison with RDX and HMX

• Published in: Journal of Chromatography A Vol. 1025; no. 1; pp. 125 - 132
• Main Authors: Monteil-Rivera, Fanny, Paquet, Louise, Deschamps, Stéphane, Balakrishnan, Vimal K., Beaulieu, Chantale, Hawari, Jalal
• Format: Journal Article Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 30.01.2004; Elsevier
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Aza Compounds - analysis; Azocines - analysis; Chemical industry and chemicals; CL-20; Environmental Monitoring - methods; Exact sciences and technology; Explosives; Heterocyclic Compounds - analysis; Heterocyclic Compounds, 1-Ring - analysis; HMX; Industrial chemicals; Nitramines; Octanol–water partition coefficients; Powders, propellants, explosives; RDX; Soil; Solubility; Triazines - analysis; Nitramines; CL-20; HMX; Solubility; RDX; Soil; Explosives; Octanol–water partition coefficients; Nitro compound; Chemical analysis; HPLC chromatography; Lipophily; Partition coefficient; Octanol-water partition coefficients; Solvent extraction; Soil pollution; Soils; Reversed phase chromatography; Ultraviolet detector; Octogen; Sample preparation; Hexogen; Comparative study; Physicochemical properties; Quantitative analysis
• ISSN: 0021-9673
• DOI: 10.1016/j.chroma.2003.08.060

CL-20 is a polycyclic energetic nitramine, which may soon replace the monocyclic nitramines RDX and HMX, because of its superior explosive performance. Therefore, to predict its environmental fate, analytical and physico-chemical data must be made available. An HPLC technique was thus developed to measure CL-20 in soil samples based on the US Environmental Protection Agency method 8330. We found that the soil water content and aging (21 days) had no effect on the recoveries (>92%) of CL-20, provided that the extracts were kept acidic (pH 3). The aqueous solubility of CL-20 was poor (3.6 mg l −1 at 25 °C) and increased with temperature to reach 18.5 mg l −1 at 60 °C. The octanol–water partition coefficient of CL-20 ( log K OW =1.92 ) was higher than that of RDX ( log K OW =0.90 ) and HMX ( log K OW =0.16 ), indicating its higher affinity to organic matter. Finally, CL-20 was found to decompose in non-acidified water upon contact with glass containers to give NO 2 − (2 equiv.), N 2O (2 equiv.), and HCOO − (2 equiv.). The experimental findings suggest that CL-20 should be less persistent in the environment than RDX and HMX.