Thermal decomposition and kinetic investigation of AP and AP based composite solid propellant in the presence of nickel ferrite additive

Abstract

Nanosize nickel ferrite (NiF) with an average crystalline size of 28.6 nm has been successfully synthesized via the co-precipitation method. NiF was found to efficiently reduce the thermal decomposition of ammonium perchlorate (AP) and Composite solid propellants (CSPs) along with an increment in the burning rate of CSPs by 1.6 times. The high-temperature DSC exothermic decomposition peak of AP was decreased by 59.04 °C in the presence of 1% by weight NiF additive. Differential Scanning Calorimeter (DSC) exothermic peak of CSPs based on AP + NiF was decreased by 37.72 °C as compared to that of CSPs based on pure AP. Further, the kinetics parameters of AP and AP + NiF mixture were evaluated using iso-conversional methods. The results indicated that the activation energy the of AP + NiF mixture was increased despite reduction in the thermal decomposition temperature.