Synergistic Optimization of Energy Release and Safety Performance in Hollow Hexanitrostilbene/Aluminum Microspheres

To achieve a balance between the safety and combustion performance of aluminized explosives, a dual-solvent strategy was employed by using a polymeric binder to fabricate hollow 2,2',4,4',6,6'-hexanitrostilbene (HNS)/Al-based energetic microspheres. The effect of suspension concentration on microsphere morphology was systematically investigated, and the dispersibility, crystal structure, specific surface area, thermal properties, impact sensitivity, and combustion behavior of the resulting microspheres were characterized. The results showed that the hollow microspheres exhibited good dispersibility and a high specific surface area while retaining the crystalline structure of HNS. Owing to the buffering effect of the internal cavity, the impact sensitivity of the microspheres was significantly reduced, greatly enhancing safety performance (HNS vs hollow HNS/Al/F: 2.5 J vs 25.0 J). Furthermore, combustion tests demonstrated that the addition of Al powder suppressed carbon cluster formation and promoted complete combustion of HNS, while the hollow structure further enhanced the flame intensity and burning rate. In summary, the synergistic effect of structural tuning and component optimization effectively improved both the safety and combustion performance of the HNS, offering a promising strategy for designing high-performance aluminized explosives.