Advances in phase stabilization techniques of AN using KDN and other chemical compounds for preparing green oxidizers

Abstract

Abstract Research and development of green oxidizers and green fuels as a possible replacement for ammonium perchlorate (NH4ClO4, AP) and hydrazine (N2H4) respectively has been increased considerably in the recent years. AP and hydrazine are the oxidizer and fuel entities, and used in solid and liquid rocket motors respectively. AP is highly toxic and led to adverse health effects, while hydrazine is carcinogenic in nature. AP is in use from the last several decades for rocket and space shuttle propulsion, while hydrazine is used in upper stage liquid propelled rocket motors. It's a tough task to replace AP with the currently available green oxidizers; since their ballistic properties are weaker when compared to AP and also they can't be successfully deployed in a solid rocket motor at present. Some important available solid green oxidizers are ammonium nitrate (AN), ammonium dinitramide (ADN), hydroxyl ammonium nitrate (HAN), and hydrazinium nitroformate (HNF). However, AN is one of the cheap and readily available oxidizer, and has great potential to use in solid/ liquid rocket motors. Tremendous progress has been envisaged till now, and more progress will be there in the coming future over the development of AN based green energetic materials (GEM's). A concise overview has been presented over the development of phase stabilized ammonium nitrate (PSAN) and AN/KDN based green oxidizers in the present review paper.