Preparation and characterization of graphene aerogel/Fe2O3/ammonium perchlorate nanostructured energetic composite

Abstract

A novel graphene aerogel (GA)/ferric oxide (Fe2O3)/ammonium perchlorate (AP) nanostructured energetic composite was prepared by a facile sol–gel method and supercritical carbon dioxide drying technique. In this study, the morphology and structure of the obtained GA/Fe2O3/AP nanostructured energetic composite were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, nitrogen sorption tests and X-ray diffraction. The thermal decomposition characteristic was investigated by thermogravimetry and differential scanning calorimetry. The results demonstrated that Fe2O3 and AP dispersed in the as-prepared energetic composite at nanometer, showing promising catalytic effects for the thermal decomposition of AP. For the nanostructured energetic composite, GA and Fe2O3 played a catalytic role in the thermal decomposition of AP. Only one decomposition step was observed, instead of two, which was common in previous report. The decomposition temperature of the nanocomposite was obviously decreased as well. Moreover, the total heat release increased significantly. The experimental results showed that the as-prepared GA/Fe2O3/AP nanostructured energetic composite could be a promising candidate material for the solid propellants. A novel GA/Fe2O3/AP nanostructured energetic composite was prepared by a facile sol–gel method and supercritical carbon dioxide drying technique. Fe2O3 and AP nanoparticles are added and trapped in the porous three-dimensional networks of GA. The decomposition temperature of the nanocomposite was obviously decreased, and the total heat release increased significantly. Moreover, the thermal decomposition mechanism of the nanocomposite was analyzed.