B. Bhattacharya

Studies on the effect of plasticiser and addition of toluene diisocyanate at different temperatures in composite propellant formulations

Different composite propellant mixtures have been prepared using ammonium perchlorate, aluminium powder and hydroxyl terminated polybutadiene by varying the percentage of plasticiser and addition of toluene diisocyanate at different temperatures, and studied their different properties such as viscosity build-up, mechanical and ballistic properties and sensitivity. The data on different plasticiser level indicate that on decreasing the plasticiser content, there is a significant enhancement in end of mix viscosity, tensile strength and modulus while elongation decreases drastically. The data on sensitivity of the studied mixtures reveal that on decreasing the percentage of plasticiser, the sensitivity increases, accordingly. Further, the data on the effect of addition of TDI at different temperatures (35-60 degrees C) infer that on increasing the addition temperature of TDI there is a decrease in end of mix viscosity i.e. 800Pas at 35 degrees C to 448Pas at 60 degrees C. Moreover, there is no effect on mechanical and ballistic properties on higher temperature addition of TDI was observed.

Nano-Ammonium Perchlorate: Preparation, Characterization, and Evaluation in Composite Propellant Formulation

Nanomaterials are finding applications in explosives and propellant formulations due to their large surface area and high surface energy. This high surface energy is responsible for the low activation energy and increase in burning rate of the composition. Therefore, a successful attempt has been made to prepare nano-ammonium perchlorate using a nonaqueous method by dissolving ammonium perchlorate (AP) in methanol followed by adding the dissolved AP to the hydroxyl-terminated polybutadiene (HTPB), homogenization, and vacuum distillation of the solvent. The nano-AP thus formed was characterized using a NANOPHOX particle size analyzer (Sympatec, Germany), transmission electron microscopy (FEI, Hillsboro, OR), X-ray diffraction (PANalytical B.V., The Netherlands) and scanning electron microscopy (Ikon Analytical Equipment Pvt. Ltd., Mumbai, India) for particle size, purity, and morphology, respectively. The thermal behavior of nano-AP was also studied using differential thermal analysis–thermo gravimetric analysis (DTA-TGA). The data indicated that the particle size of the prepared AP was in the range of 21–52 nm and the thermal decomposition temperature was lower than that of coarse AP. Characterized nano-AP was subsequently used in composite propellant formulation up to 5% with 86% solid loading and studied for different properties. The results showed a 14% increase in burning rate in comparison to standard propellant composition with desired mechanical properties.

Development of an eco-friendly method to convert life expired composite propellant into liquid fertilizer

Large quantity of composite propellants is produced as waste due to life expiry of missiles/rejection of propellant lots during manufacturing. The environmental protection agency does not allow the hazardous materials for open burning/open detonation. Therefore, a systematic study has been carried out to develop a method for the disposal of composite propellant into liquid fertilizer without affecting the environment. In this study, propellant compositions were digested in dilute nitric acid followed by neutralization with 5M KOH solution to get precipitated out aluminium as aluminium hydroxide and finally the obtained liquid was treated with orthophosphoric acid for further neutralization. The liquid fertilizer, thus, obtained was characterized for nitrate and phosphate content using ion chromatography while ICP-AES was used for the estimation of potassium, aluminium and other noxious metallic elements such as Pb, Cd, As, Cr, Cu, Ni and Zn. The analyses data indicate that liquid fertilizer is free from aluminium and noxious metallic elements while ratio of nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium are close to the Indian NPK value.

NUMERICAL STUDIES ON FLOW BEHAVIOR OF COMPOSITE PROPELLANT SLURRY DURING VACUUM CASTING DOI 10.5028/jatm.2012.04021212

Abstract: Rockets are powered by composite solid propellant, which is a heterogeneous system consisting of solid oxidizer and metallic fuel dispersed in a polymeric fuel binder matrix. The slurry casting technique under vacuum/ gravity condition is well-established for performing a different class of large sized case bonded rocket motors. During propellant casting, the ow rate of slurry is a very critical parameter as it affects the product quality. The casting rate is governed by suf cient degassing and viscosity buildup due to the progress of cure reaction. n the present study, casting rate and casting time have been numerically evaluated for xed and varying percentages of valve opening, different viscosity of slurry, and different pressure drop driving force . The velocity pro le of propellant slurry inside feeding pipe and valve has also been evaluated. urthermore, to get a awless grain and to predict the slurry casting rate, a microscopic analysis has been carried out to model the ow behaviour of composite propellant slurry, where the momentum conservation law has been applied to express the mathematical model in an analytical form. The resulting differential and algebraic equations have been solved numerically using MATLAB, computing software. The numerical analysis is useful for designing new casting set-up and for giving the idea of maximum casting rate, which is achievable for given casting set-up and rheological properties of propellant slurry.