Thermal characterization of glycidyl azide polymer (GAP) and GAP-based binders for composite propellants

✍ Scribed by K. Selim; S. Özkar; L. Yilmaz

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 2000
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 169 KB
• Volume: 77
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0021-8995
• DOI: 10.1002/(sici)1097-4628(20000718)77:3<538::aid-app9>3.0.co;2-x

✦ Synopsis

Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA) were used to investigate the thermal behavior of glycidyl azide polymer (GAP) and GAP-based binders, which are of potential interest for the development of highperformance energetic propellants. The glass transition temperature (T g ) and decomposition temperature (T d ) of pure GAP were found to be Ϫ45 and 242°C, respectively. The energy released during decomposition (⌬H d ) was measured as 485 cal/g. The effect of the heating rate on these properties was also investigated. Then, to decrease its T g , GAP was mixed with the plasticizers dioctiladipate (DOA) and bis-2,2-dinitropropyl acetal formal (BDNPA/F). The thermal characterization results showed that BDNPA/F is a suitable plasticiser for GAP-based propellants. Later, GAP was crosslinked by using the curing agent triisocyanate N-100 and a curing catalyst dibuthyltin dilaurate (DBTDL). The thermal characterization showed that crosslinking increases the T g and decreases the T d of GAP. The T g of cured GAP was decreased to sufficiently low temperatures (Ϫ45°C) by using BDNPA/F. The decomposition reaction-rate constants were calculated. It can be concluded that the binder developed by using GAP/N-100/ BDNPA/F/DBTDL may meet the requirements of the properties that makes it useful for future propellant formulations.