When Copper Oxide meets graphene oxide: A core-shell structure via an intermittent spray coating route for a highly efficient ammonium perchlorate thermal decomposition

Abstract

Ammonium perchlorate (AP) is the primary oxygen source for solid propellants; its thermal decomposition behavior is determinant for the overall performance of the ensuing propellant. In this perspective, a novel Intermittent, Spray Coating, Draying, and Mixing (ISCDM) method is introduced herein to prepare AP@CuO, PA@GO, and AP@CuO@GO core-shell composites. The as-synthesized materials morphological information, crystalline structure, and elemental composition are probed by powder X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy. The as-prepared CuO nanospheres were effectively embedded into the AP microparticles surface. AP@CuO microparticles were continuously coated with graphene oxide (GO) nanosheets. Particle size analyzer was used to probe the particle size distribution of core-shell composites. Results show that the application of ISCDM method results in a typical narrow gaussian size distribution with an average diameter of hundred microns ranking from 158.56 µm to 166.22 µm. The thermal decomposition and the catalytic performances were investigated by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). AP@CuO@GO core-shell composite exhibits an excellent thermal decomposition behavior: a low thermal decomposition temperature (LTD) of 337 °C, reduced values of the High thermal decomposition temperature HTD to be overlapped with the LTD step, and a significant energy release of 1543 J g−1 are registered.