Identification of octahydro‐1,3,5,7‐tetranitro‐1,3,5,7‐tetrazocine (HMX) pyrolysis products by simultaneous thermogravimetric modulated beam mass spectrometry and time‐of‐flight velocity‐spectra measurements

The pyrolysis products formed during the isothermal decomposition of HMX at 211°C are H 2 O, HCN, CO, CH 2 O, NO, N 2 O, methylformamide, C 2 H 6 N 2 O, octahydro‐1‐nitroso‐3,5,7‐trinitro‐1,3,5,7‐tetrazocine, and a nonvolatile residue. The temporal behaviors of these products during the decomposition are presented. The method for using time‐of‐flight (TOF) velocity spectra to assist mass‐spectrometry measurements in identifying the different gaseous products formed from the pyrolysis of a material by determining the approximate molecular weights of the different gaseous products contributing to the different m/z values in the mass spectrum of the mixture is described. The ion fragmentation of HMX as a function of electron energy shows complete fragmentation of the HMX molecular ion for electron energies ≥ 12.4 eV. No fragments from the pyrolysis of HMX other than those mentioned above are observed.