Experimental Investigation of the Decomposition Preceding Cookoff in a Composite Propellant

The decomposition preceding autoignition of an ammonium-perchlorate-based composite propellant was experimentally investigated. Autoignition temperature is measured for a selected heating rate. At that same heating rate, differential scanning calorimetry, thermogravimetric analysis, Fourier transfor...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of propulsion and power 2014-11, Vol.30 (6), p.1667-1674
Main Authors: Hedman, Trevor D, Gross, Matthew L, Davis, Jeffery J, Davis, Nathaniel D, Ford, Kevin P, Atwood, Alice I
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Ammonium perchlorates
Autoignition
Binders
Composite propellants
Cubes
Differential scanning calorimetry
Exothermic reactions
Fourier transforms
Heat measurement
Heating rate
Infrared analysis
Ovens
Phase composition
Phase transitions
Propellant binders
Propellant decomposition
Propellants
Spontaneous combustion
Thermogravimetric analysis
Vapor phases
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:The decomposition preceding autoignition of an ammonium-perchlorate-based composite propellant was experimentally investigated. Autoignition temperature is measured for a selected heating rate. At that same heating rate, differential scanning calorimetry, thermogravimetric analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and hot-stage microscopy are employed to study the propellant behavior leading to reaction. These experiments are conducted on both cured composite propellant and individual ingredients, including neat ammonium perchlorate and a cured binder. For a heating rate of 2 °C/min., it is determined using thermogravimetric analysis/Fourier transform infrared that ammonium perchlorate and the binder begin to react together near 150°C, whereas differential scanning calorimetry shows initial exothermic behavior after the orthorhombic-to-cubic phase transition near 240°C. This disparity is discussed and further investigated using larger-scale cubes of propellant heated in ovens at the same heating rate of 2 °C/min. It is found that the larger-scale testing is consistent with the findings of the thermogravimetric analysis/Fourier transform infrared. Changes in the gas phase composition are observed when ammonium perchlorate, the binder, and propellant are slowly heated. Implications of these experimental observations are discussed.
ISSN:0748-4658
1533-3876
DOI:10.2514/1.B35340