Abstract
Paraffin-based hybrid propellants have been developed due to their high burning rate. However, they have some disadvantages such as inadequate mechanical properties and unstable burning. In this work, paraffin fuel grains with carbon black were evaluated to study the possible effects of this additive on the mechanical, thermal and ballistic properties of these grains, besides the already known effect of minimizing the thermal radiation inside the motor. The grains with carbon black showed significant changes in the thermal degradation profile and substantial improvement in burn stability.
Highlights
Hybrid propulsion has been receiving increasing interest because it is a technically, economically and safety advantageous alternative when compared to liquid or solid propellants (Karabeyoglu et al 2002)
The pure paraffin wax fuel grain was prepared by heating at 80 °C until complete melting, the liquid was quickly poured into the rocket motor case, which was previously heated
Carbon black has a crucial effect on the thermal degradation profile and possibly on the combustion mechanism of paraffin
Summary
Hybrid propulsion has been receiving increasing interest because it is a technically, economically and safety advantageous alternative when compared to liquid or solid propellants (Karabeyoglu et al 2002). The solid paraffin block melts in contact with the oxidizer at high pressure and temperature, forming a thin layer of liquid that disperses in small drops. This improves the mixing conditions between fuel and oxidizer, bringing the burning conditions closer to those of a liquid propellant (Karabeyoglu et al 2004). It has the advantages already mentioned, a major obstacle to its use as a fuel grain is its mechanical property: solid paraffin is very fragile, which increases the risk of cracking and making its use unfeasible. To minimize this last factor, it is common to add carbon black to paraffin to reduce the thermal radiation inside the motor (Karabeyoglu et al 2004; George et al 2001)
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