Ignition and combustion characteristics of a low‐vulnerability propellant mainly composed of nitrocellulose are studied experimentally. Ignition is obtained using a 10 W laser diode. Experiments are performed in a cylindrical closed‐volume reactor for different initial pressures and initial propellant masses under nitrogen and argon surrounding atmospheres. Ignition delays, maximal overpressures and propagation rates are obtained for different initial pressures and laser powers. Ignition probabilities for different laser powers and gaseous atmospheres are also investigated using the modified Langlie method. Argon is found to be a combustion enhancer for this kind of propellant, compared to nitrogen. Laser power plays a significant role on ignition probabilities and ignition delays, but not on propagation rates. As expected, ignition delay is highly dependent on initial pressure.

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The kinetics of thermal decomposition of cellulose wadding was investigated from TG-MS experiments. Different oxygen concentrations in the atmosphere and several heating rates were used to study the influence of oxygen concentration on the mass loss of the sample and on the emission of gases. A shift and an amplitude variation of the DTG curves as well as an increase of the emission of gases such as CO and CO 2 were observed. Then, a kinetic model was proposed to predict the mass loss of the cellulose wadding. Three stages were considered: the cellulose pyrolysis, the char oxidation and the decomposition of calcium carbonate. For the pyrolysis, the kinetic parameters were expressed according to the partial pressure of oxygen. For the char oxidation, a power law was used to account for the influence of oxygen whereas the other kinetic parameters were considered constant regardless of oxygen concentration. The decomposition of calcium carbonate was modelled by a first order influenced by the pressure of CO 2 .

Thermal analyses of raw components are necessary to understand the behavior of pyrotechnic compositions they are incorporated in. Ternary compositions containing strontium peroxide, magnesium, and 2, 4‐dinitroanisole (DNAN) are studied thermally using TGA and DSC. Activation energies are given for the components using three different methods. Thermal behavior of strontium peroxide is focused on as little scientific literature exists about it: heat capacity is measured, and a thermal evolution model is given. Effects of magnesium particles size are also studied. The results obtained show that the presence of DNAN decreases activation energies of all reactions within the ternary compositions. Decreasing magnesium granulometry only decreases the activation energy of magnesium oxidation, but does not play a role in other reactions.

Burning velocities of binary and ternary pyrotechnic compositions are measured in gutter. The study focuses on the determination of the joint influence of several parameters: oxidant/reducer ratio, reducer granulometry, and binder content. Measurements are performed following the standard NF T70-541 for burning velocity estimation using an optical acquisition method. Binder content has a linear influence on the burning velocity with a pivot point in slope at supposed stoichiometry. Changing the granulometric class of metallic reducer shows to have different influences before and beyond a 20% diameter reduction.