Ignition Delay Studies on Hypergolic Fuel Grains

Abstract

The ignition delays of several solid hypergolic fuel compositions, casted using various polymeric binders, or as melts, have been determined with fuming nitric acid as oxidizer. The ignition delays of various hypergolic fuel compositions increase drasticaliy on casting with binders like. carboxyl or hydroxyl termninated polybutadiene. Fuel grains cast using some newly syhthesised epoxy  resins with other ingrcdients, such as curing agent, magnesium powder and fuel, have short ignition delays of the order of 200 ms, and also good mechanical strength. Increasing the amount of binder in the composition retards the hypergolicity of the rain. Similar studies have been made on melt-cast systems using low melting hypergolic fuels for casting fuel powders. The ignition delays of the melt-cast grains, are longer than those determined taking the composition in the powder form. The effect of highly hypergolic additives, and metal powders, on the ignition delay of the cast compositions has been determined. Grains having good mechanical strength and short ignition delays have been obtained by optimising the fuel grain composition.