Progress in characterization of interface structure and properties in polymer bonded explosives

The precise characterization of interfacial structure for polymer-bonded explosive (PBX) modification is challenging due to the complexity of the interface. The inherent properties between explosive and binders affect interface bonding, lowering the interfacial strength in unpredicted ways. Surface modification is an effective method to balance multi-utility in materials engineering, which has been carried out to design of high-performance composites with improved interfacial properties. Experimental methods may determine the coating shell for capturing the PBX structures. Various approaches were applied to characterize the structure and properties of PBX interface, including molecular dynamics-based computational models to predict bonding properties. In this review, systematic organization were provided and summarized with detective methods on the surface and interface of explosives. Meanwhile, the usage scenarios and limitations of each measurement were proposed. Conclusions from the review yield useful guidelines and references for systematical characterization on the modification of explosive and can be extended to other materials.