Ammonium perchlorate

About: Ammonium perchlorate is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 2359 publications have been published within this topic receiving 33412 citations. The topic is also known as: AP.

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

Abstract: 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 an...

The effect of reduced graphene oxide on the catalytic activity of Cu–Cr–O–TiO2 to enhance the thermal decomposition rate of ammonium perchlorate: an efficient fuel oxidizer for solid rocket motors and missiles

Abstract: Reduced graphene oxide (rGO) modified transition metal oxide based composites were successfully synthesized via a sol–gel assisted Hummers' method. The present study includes the synthesis of CuCr2O4·0.7TiO2, the synthesis of rGO and the synthesis of rGO modified CuCr2O4·0.7TiO2. In order to synthesize the desired catalyst, rGO and Cu–Cr–O–0.7TiO2 were synthesized individually. The CuCr2O4·0.7TiO2 composite was synthesized via a sol–gel method. Reduced graphene oxide (rGO) used as a modifier in the catalyst, was also synthesized in the laboratory and was calcined at high temperature (1050 °C) to improve its activity. Finally, Cu–Cr–O–0.7TiO2 was modified with 10 wt% rGO. The post synthesis characterizations were performed using various instrumental techniques including X-ray diffraction (XRD) for phase analysis, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and Raman spectroscopy for molecular interactions, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) for surface morphology, energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX), elemental analysis and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) for binding energy. The catalytic efficiency of the synthesized composite catalyst samples based thermal decomposition of the host material (i.e. AP) was determined by differential thermal analysis (DTA) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The rGO modification into the Cu–Cr–O–0.7TiO2 tri-metallic composition made it the most promising catalyst for the thermal decomposition of AP, due to the tremendously high electrical and thermal conductivity of rGO. Different amounts (2.5, 5.0, 7.5 and 10 wt%) of Cu–Cr–O–0.7TiO2–rGO were added to ammonium perchlorate (AP) to investigate its effect on the thermal decomposition of AP, which is a well known oxidizer used worldwide in the solid composite propellant (SCP) in modern rocketry. The 5 wt% of catalyst (Cu–Cr–O–0.7TiO2–rGO) addition into AP exhibited the remarkably enhanced thermal decomposition of AP. Finally, the burn rate of SCP was examined with 5 wt% catalyst modified AP. The 5 wt% of catalyst modified AP exhibited 175.31% higher burn rate of SCP, compared to the burn rate of pure AP added SCP. Furthermore, when it was compared with an industrial catalyst, i.e. activated copper chromite (ACR), it showed 133.61% higher burn rate of SCP. The SCP exhibited excellent ballistic performance with 0.6% of catalyst in AP, which enhanced the burn rate from 4.866 mm s−1 (for SCP having pure AP) to 8.531 mm s−1 (for SCP having catalyst added AP) and 6.385 mm s−1 (for SCP having industrial catalyst added AP) at 33 bar.

The atomic origin of high catalytic activity of ZnO nanotetrapods for decomposition of ammonium perchlorate

Abstract: Distinct from the common well faceted ZnO nanorods (R-ZnO), ZnO nanotetrapods (T-ZnO) exhibited a remarkable catalytic activity for the thermal decomposition of ammonium perchlorate (AP): the activation energy at high temperature decomposition (HTD) was significantly decreased to 111.9 kJ mol−1, much lower than 162.5 kJ mol−1 for pure AP and 156.9 kJ mol−1 for AP with R-ZnO. This was attributed to more abundant atomic steps on the surface of T-ZnO than that of R-ZnO, as evidenced by HRTEM and density function theory (DFT) calculations. It was shown that the initiation step of perchloric acid (PA) decomposition happened much faster on stepped T-ZnO edges, resulting in the formation of active oxygen atoms from HClO4. The formed oxygen atoms would subsequently react with NH3 to produce HNO, N2O and NO species, thus leading to an obvious decrease in the activation energy of AP decomposition. The proposed catalytic mechanism was further corroborated by the TG-IR spectroscopy results. Our work can provide atomic insights into the catalytic decomposition of AP on ZnO nanostructures.

Combustion response of ammonium perchlorate composite propellants

Abstract: The Cohen and Strand model for ammonium perchlorate (AP) composite propellants is applied as boundary conditions, one for AP and one for binder, in solving the heat conduction equation in each to compute linear and nonlinear combustion response properties for each and for the aggregate propellant. Iterations couple AP and binder through the quasi-steady flame processes. Illustrative results for linear response functions (pressure coupled and velocity coupled) are presented for a monomodal AP propellant showing effects of varying AP size, pressure, and crossflow speed. Examples of nonlinear responses to arbitrary waveforms are also shown. The model predicts a very large response at high pressures with coarse AP due to AP monopropellant combustion, underpredicts peak response amplitude for low pressures due to a possible change in mechanism, and shows a stabilizing effect of the diffusion flame. A quantitative comparison with response function data is limited to one well-characterized research formulation. Mechanistic implications are discussed, including recommendations for future modeling work.

Graphite oxide–iron oxide nanocomposites as a new class of catalyst for the thermal decomposition of ammonium perchlorate

Abstract: Graphite oxide (GO) is receiving increased attention due to its special surface properties and layered structure for the synthesis of GO containing nanocomposites. It is possible that integration of GO sheets and iron oxide nanoparticles may result in enhanced properties and enlarge the application range. Herein, we report the effect of Fe2O3–GO nanocomposite as a new class of catalyst for the decomposition of ammonium perchlorate (AP), a rocket propellant oxidizer, and study the effect of Fe2O3 : GO ratio on the catalytic activity. The material was characterized by X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy and the formation of Fe2O3 and GO were confirmed. FESEM analysis showed that the Fe2O3 nanoparticles are highly dispersed between and on the graphene layers. With the addition of 3% of the composite with 1 : 1 Fe2O3–GO ratio, the decomposition temperature of AP was reduced by 45 °C, showing a high catalytic activity for the new composite. The high catalytic activity of the in situ synthesized Fe2O3–GO composite may be attributed to the uniform distribution of iron oxide nanoparticles which in turn provide a number of active sites on the surface due to the presence of GO.