Composite modified double base (CMDB) propellants are heterogeneous propellants in which properties are significantly improved by adding solid particles into the polymer matrix. A molecular group interaction model that can predict the mechanical properties of polymers through a molecular structure is used to predict the viscoelastic behavior of the CMDB propellant. Considering that the addition of solid particles will improve the crosslinking degree between polymer molecules and reduce its secondary loss peak, the input parameters of the model are modified through dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) experimental data. By introducing the strain rate into the expression of model glass transition temperature, the mechanical properties of propellant over a wide strain range ( 1.7 × 10 − 4  s-1 ~ 3000 s-1) are obtained. The reliability of the model is verified by comparison with uniaxial compression test data. By modifying the input parameters of the model, the effects of different mass ratios of nitrocellulose (NC)/nitroglycerin (NG) on the mechanical properties of the CMDB propellant were analyzed. The results show that the glass transition loss increases with increasing mass ratio of NC/NG, while Young’s modulus and yield stress decrease.

The damage and ignition response of a novel propellant is investigated using a modified split Hopkinson pressure bar (SHPB). The mechanical response of the propellant exhibits strong strain rate dependency following a power law. The whole process from mechanical damage to onset of ignition, deflagration and potential deflagration to detonation transition (DDT) under different strain rates (1000–5000 s−1) is captured via high‐speed photography and digital image correlation (DIC). To clarify the onset and extent of the resulting reaction in terms of the mechanical damage caused by impact, meso‐scale analysis is used to evaluate the propellant before and after dynamic impact loading. The ignition response under impact loading is mainly caused by shear flow, and ignition after multiple impacts due to the reflection of stress waves. Dense debris clouds produced by the first impact are observed in the case of a strain rate of 5000 s−1 leading to DDT when the second impact initiated ignition.

In this study, the effect of the axial gap on the mechanical response of a cartridge-loaded propellant grain under vibration loads is investigated. The wide strain rate range of uniaxial compression tests ( 1.7 × 10 − 3 ~ 4 × 10 3   s − 1 ) on the composite modified double base (CMDB) propellant was carried out by using a universal testing machine, a hydraulic testing machine, and a split Hopkinson pressure bar system, respectively. A linear viscoelastic constitutive model of the CMDB propellant was developed by using the experimental measurements. The results show the studied CMDB propellant has a strong strain rate dependence, exhibiting an initial linear elasticity followed by a strain hardening region. The dynamic process of collision between the propellant grain and the motor case in the axial direction induced by vibration loads was simulated with the developed constitutive model by using the finite element method. The effects of the gap size between the propellant grain and the case and the vibration frequency on the mechanical response of the grain were studied. This shows that with a constant vibration frequency, the stress of the grain increases first and then decreases with increasing gap size. Moreover, the stress increases with increasing vibration loads.

In this study, the mechanical response of HTPB propellant grain under ultra-high loads is investigated. The low, intermediate and high strain rate of uniaxial compression tastings (1.7×10−4~3×103s−1) of the hydroxyl terminated polybutadiene (HTPB) propellant at room temperature were carried out by using the universal testing machine and the split Hopkinson pressure bar (SHPB) system, respectively. The uniaxial compression tests of the cellular rubber, the EPDM rubber and felted wool were carried out. A linear viscoelastic constitutive model of the HTPB propellant was developed by using the test data. The mechanical property of the cellular rubber, the EPDM rubber and the felted wool were studied by the test data. The dynamic mechanical response of the propellant grain under high overloads was simulated with the developed constitutive model by using the finite element method. The deformation of the grain under high overload was studied. The result shows when the overload value is maximum, the stress value of the grain is maximum. The location where the stress value of the grain is maximum is the center of the inner hole of the cushion. The maximum stress value is 20.17MPa.