Influence of humidity on the decomposition process of double base rocket propellant

dc.contributor.authorRomero Jabalquinto, Alonso
dc.contributor.authorMai, Nathalie
dc.contributor.authorMohammed, Yahaya
dc.contributor.authorGill, Philip P.
dc.date.accessioned2023-11-23T12:06:02Z
dc.date.available2023-11-23T12:06:02Z
dc.date.issued2023-09-29
dc.description.abstractThe decomposition mechanisms of the polymer cellulose nitrate (NC) which is used in double base (DB) rocket propellants, have been extensively studied, and the influence of storage temperature on the lifetime of these energetic formulations is well known. However, the impact of humidity and water on the polymer decomposition process is poorly understood. This paper studies the influence of humidity on the decomposition chemistry of NC and its impact on shelf life. Stabiliser consumption was first analysed by ageing the propellant in sealed vials at different humidity levels for 7 days at an isothermal temperature of 90 °C. Samples were also analysed using heat flow calorimetry (HFC) at isothermal temperatures of 80 °C, 90 °C, and 100 °C. The results indicates that stabiliser depletion increases with increasing water content. Life assessment calculations (AOP 48 ed2) show that increasing the absolute humidity from 6 to 22 g m-3 will decrease the propellant life from 11 to 6 years (25 °C equivalents). The HFC results follow the same trend as the stabiliser depletion where greater absolute humidity increases the heat flow by up to 400 %. Unlike the pass/fail criteria for stabiliser depletion, the HFC samples passed the 10-year (25 °C equivalent) life criteria (STANAG 4582). A multi-temperature (80, 90, 100 °C) kinetic analysis of the initial heat flow showed that the heat flow rate increased with increasing humidity, but the activation energy for all humidity levels remained at 131 (± 3) kJ mol−1.en_UK
dc.identifier.citationRomero Jabalquinto A, Mai N, Mohammed Y, Gill PP. (2023) Influence of humidity on the decomposition process of double base rocket propellant. Polymer Degradation and Stability, Volume 218, December 2023, Article number 110546en_UK
dc.identifier.issn0141-3910
dc.identifier.urihttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.polymdegradstab.2023.110546
dc.identifier.urihttps://dspace.lib.cranfield.ac.uk/handle/1826/20580
dc.language.isoenen_UK
dc.publisherElsevieren_UK
dc.rightsAttribution 4.0 International*
dc.rights.urihttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/*
dc.subjectDouble base rocket propellanten_UK
dc.subjectCellulose nitrate polymer decomposition processen_UK
dc.subjectChemical stabilityen_UK
dc.subjectHeat flow calorimetryen_UK
dc.subjectStabiliser consumptionen_UK
dc.subjectShelf lifeen_UK
dc.titleInfluence of humidity on the decomposition process of double base rocket propellanten_UK
dc.typeArticleen_UK
dcterms.dateAccepted2023-09-25

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