Improving the Mechanical Properties of Glycidyl Azide Polymeric Matrix Used in Composite Solid Rocket Propellant by Adding Advanced Cross‐Linker

Abstract

Glycidyl azide polymer (GAP) based binders have poor mechanical characteristics in comparison with hydroxyl terminated polybutadiene (HTPB) binders. In this study, advanced cross‐linker was used to improve the mechanical properties of GAP binder. GAP was prepared and characterized in comparison with HTPB prepolymer. Density, characteristics groups, nitrogen content, humidity, viscosity, and milligram equivalent of (OH) per binders were determined. A cross‐linker consists of trimethylol propane (TMP) and curing catalyst, dibutyltin dilaurate (DBTDL), was used as an additive to GAP polymeric matrix to enhance its functionality. Polymeric matrices based on GAP and HTPB were prepared with different curing ratio (NCO/OH) ranging from 0.7 to 1.5. Different weight percentages of cross‐linker were added to study its effect on the mechanical properties of GAP matrix. Five samples based on HTPB polymer and twenty samples based on GAP polymer were prepared. A LLOYD testing machine was used to determine the stress‐strain curves of all the studied samples. It was concluded that the cross‐linker used has significant influence on the characteristics of GAP polymeric matrix. Also the addition of 5 wt % of cross‐linker to GAP matrix at curing ratio = 1 produced optimum mechanical characteristics very close to that of HTPB matrix used in composite solid rocket propellants (CSRP). The optimum GAP polymeric matrix is candidate to replace the traditional HTPB binder in advanced CSRP.