CHAPTER 7 - Safety Characteristics of Solid Propellants and Hazards of Solid Rocket Motors

Abstract

This chapter presents the safety characteristics of solid propellants and hazards of solid rocket motors. During the course of their entire life cycle, from production to utilization, solid propellant rocket motors are found in many varied environments and are subjected to stresses corresponding to a series of various activities. A risk-assessment process consists of assigning a probability of occurrence to each potential hazard for each phase of the life of a propellant grain. There are two traditional methods, namely, regulatory approach and analytical study. The propellant industry is subject to the application of various regulations. These regulations establish hazard categories or sections for the various explosive substances, solid propellants in this case, corresponding to the pyrotechnic effects likely to be encountered. There are the primary threats from the solid propellant rocket motors; however, beyond these primary hazards, any active projection may lead to a secondary hazard caused by the impact of energetic material against walls or other objects against a wall. In the case of a violent event, the blast causes an overpressure in the surroundings, which may remain modest in the case of an explosion. The result of this analysis is the probability of an undesirable pyrotechnic event.