Evaluation of Energetic Plasticisers for Solid Gun Propellant

Abstract

This paper reports the evaluation of four different energetic plasticisers, viz., glycidyl azidepolymer (GAP, MW = 390), 1,5-diazido-3-nitrazapentane (DANPE), ethylene-glycol-bis-azido-acetate (EGBAA) and N-n-butyl-N-(2 nitroxyethyl) nitramine (n-Bu-NENA) separately into highenergy gun propellant containing 28 per cent NC (13.1 N %), 65 per cent RDX, 6 per cent di-octyl-phthahate (DOP) and 1 per cent carbamite.  Four different propellant compositions based on theenergetic plasticiser have been formulated separately with the replacement of non-energeticplasticiser, DOP. The propellants were processed by standard solvent method and evaluatedexperimentally along with the control composition to determine the ballistic parameters, cal-val,sensitivity, thermal characterisation, thermal stability and mechanical properties. The performanceof the propellants containing the energetic plasticiser has  been compared with that of thecontrol composition containing the non-energetic plasticiser, DOP so as to assess the suitabilityof the energetic plasticiser for the futuristic gun propellant formulations. It has been found outthat n-Bu-NENA is the superior plasticiser among the four energetic plasticisers evaluated inthis study.

Defence Science Journal, 2008, 58(1), pp.86-93, DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.14429/dsj.58.1627