No abstract

Propellants based on HTPB/AP (hydroxyl-terminated polybutadiene/ammonium perchlorate) are the most commonly used in most of the rocket engines used by the Brazilian Armed Forces. This work aimed at the possibility of extending its useful life (currently in 10 years) by performing chemical kinetic analysis of the energetic material via differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and also performing computer simulation of aging process using the software Large-scale Atomic/Molecular Massively Parallel Simulator. The simulations presented the experimental behavior of the aging process, showing the bending and cross-link of the binder with the volume contraction and the energetic stabilization. Thermal analysis via DSC was performed in triplicate and in 3 heating ratios (5 °C, 10 °C and 15 °C) of rocket motor with 11-year shelf-life, using the Arrhenius equation to obtain its activation energy, using Ozawa and Kissinger kinetic methods, allowing comparison with manufacturing period data (standard motor). The obtained activation energies were 126.67 kJ/mol (Ozawa) and 122.85 kJ/ mol (Kissinger), much higher than that of the aged propellants (~ 78 kJ/mol, based on literature data), showing that the propellant has not yet aged significantly. In addition, the kinetic parameters of internal pressure of the combustion chamber in 8 rocket engines with 11 years of shelf-life were also acquired, for comparison purposes with the engine start-up data.

No abstract

Hydroxyl-terminated polybutadiene (HTPB) is widely used in the formulations of solid propellants used in rocket motors. Furthermore, in general, chain extenders and short chain diols, such as 1,4-butanediol and 1,2-propanediol, can also be used in propellant formulations to improve mechanical properties, especially tensile strength.However, the incorporation of these diols can result in a considerable increase in the viscosity of the mixture during the processing of propellants. Thus, the present study evaluated the compatibility of these diols with the HTPB prepolymer, through a viscometric study, with the aim to determine the order of addition that results in greater homogeneity for the mixture. It was concluded that 1,4-butanediol, due to its larger chain size, has better compatibility with HTPB resin than 1,2-propanediol. On top of that, it was found that when the resin is added fi rst, it results in mixtures with greater compatibility.