Effect of the dispersibility of Nano-CuO catalyst on heat releasing of AP/HTPB propellant

Abstract

Kneading time is adjusted to change the dispersibility of nano-CuO in AP/HTPB (Ammonia Perchlorate/Hydroxyl-Terminated Polybutadiene) composite propellants. Nano-CuO/AP is prepared to serve as the other dispersing method of nano-CuO, named predispersing procedure. Several kinds of heat releasing, thermal decomposition by DSC, combustion heat in oxygen environment, and explosion heat in nitrogen environment, are characterized to learn the effect of dispersibility of nano-CuO catalyst on heat releasing of propellants. With pre-dispersing procedures, thermal decomposition temperature of nano-CuO/AP and its propellant are about 25 °C and 8.6 °C lower than that of AP simple mixed with nano-CuO and its propellant, respectively. Comparing propellant with simple mixed nano-CuO kneading 3 hours, combustion heat and explosion heat of propellant with nano-CuO/AP increase about 1.4 and 1.7, respectively. However, because of the breaking of nano-CuO/AP structure during kneading procedure, combustion heat and explosion heat of all the samples are decreased with the increase of kneading time after 3 hours.