A Methodological Approach to Select a Suitable Azodicarbonamide Based Airbag Gas Generant

Abstract

ABSTRACT Azodicarbonamide (ADC) based airbag gas generants with various potential oxidizers, including (1) C2H4O2N4/KNO3 (2) C2H4O2N4/NaNO3 (3) C2H4O2N4/Sr(NO3)2 (4) C2H4O2N4/Ba(NO3)2 (5) C2H4O2N4/KIO4 and (6) C2H4O2N4/NaIO4 were thoroughly tested to identify the best mixture for a real-time ballistic application. The evaluation of the gas generant mixtures is carried out based on the performance properties such as quantity of oxidizer decomposed (in g) to give 1 g of O2, residual mass % of the mixture, density of the oxidizer, oxygen balance percentage for the oxidizer, adiabatic flame temperature, onset temperature, activation energy, pre-exponential factor, critical ignition temperature, change in enthalpy, change in entropy, impact sensitivity and friction sensitivity of the gas generant mixtures. Using the TOPSIS methodology, a systematic approach was developed for the first time to determine the best suitable airbag gas generant for real-time ballistic application by taking into account all of these properties. TOPSIS findings revealed that the preferred order of the airbag gas generant mixture is C2H4O2N4/KIO4 > C2H4O2N4/NaIO4 > C2H4O2N4/KNO3 > C2H4O2N4/NaNO3 > C2H4O2N4/Sr(NO3)2 > C2H4O2N4/Ba(NO3)2. A similar methodology can also be used to discover the best fuel/oxidizer mixture for any other composition.