Temperature sensitivity of magnesium-sodium nitrate propellants

✍ Scribed by Harihar Singh; R. Bhaskara Rao

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1990
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 458 KB
• Volume: 15
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0721-3115
• DOI: 10.1002/prep.19900150605

✦ Synopsis

Abstract

Temperature sensitivity of burning rate of magnesium‐sodium nitrate propellants has been determined at different mixture ratios in the temperature range between – 40°C and + 50°C. The results indicate that the temperature sensitivity is minimum at high magnesium loadings and increases as the proportion of magnesium in the mixture decreases. Thermal decomposition data indicate that the oxidation of magnesium with sodium nitrate in a propellant is governed by the condenscd phase heat release. This heat which is maximum at high fuel concentration is seen as causing prcssure independent, high burning rate with low temperature sensitivity. The reduction of magnesium content in the mixture increases the metal agglomeration on the surface of the propellant and causes for the decrease of condenscd phasc heat release and the reaction zone temperature. This causes for pressure dependent, low buring rate with high temperature sensitivity. The burning surface temperature data indicate that the change in the initial temperature of the propellant at low fuel concentration might be causing for the change in the degree of mctal agglomcration which lead to the increase of temperature sensitivity of burning rate. The photographs of the sliver surface obtained after static test at different initial temperature of the propellant support the suggested mechanism.