Thermal behavior of glassy phase stabilized ammonium nitrate (PSAN) thin films

Abstract

Ammonium nitrate (AN) is a high interest material because of its wide usage in propellants and explosives but can be difficult to handle from a formulation standpoint. It is soluble in many common solvents and has complex phase behavior. Here, we formulate phase stabilized AN (PSAN) films in a polymer matrix and characterize thermal and phase behavior using neutron reflectometry and ellipsometry. These techniques are highly sensitive to small changes in composition and density which occur during phase transitions. Our PSAN films are generally stable up to 160°C, though we observe small material loss between 60 and 100°C, which we attribute to solvent interactions with the PSAN. Crystallization of AN from supersaturated polymer is most common at thicker regions of the film, suggesting a critical nucleation thickness for the AN which can be avoided by making very thin films.

Investigating the Effect of Copper(II) Coordination Compound with Azodicarbonamide Ligand on the Phase‐Stabilization of Ammonium Nitrate

“…The large volume changes lead to propellant cracking, irregular burning, and a possible threat to propellant housing. In terms of storage, it should be considered the buildup of internal pressure and self‐heating within the material, which can lead to disastrous consequences . This shortcoming of AN has been removed by changing it to phase stabilized ammonium nitrate (PSAN) because PSAN exhibits very little volume change on thermal cycling.…”

Deformation of Mesoporous Titania Nanostructures in Contact with D2O Vapor

“…Moreover, it affects their porosity. In general, the SLD depends on the material density of the probed material . Thus, the SLD is reduced for porous films as compared to solid ones.…”