engleski

Applicability of thermal methods for identification of homogeneous propellants

Methods of thermal analysis are nowadays widely used experimental techniques in various fields of research. Besides the more “ chemical” areas, such as polymers, fine organic chemicals and pharmaceuticals, they have applications in electronics, in construction, engineering – generally in the field of characterization and investigation of materials. Thermal methods can provide information, such as quality, lifetime and safety during usage and storage of energetic materials. Thermal methods are mostly used for the investigation and determination of the thermal properties of energetic materials (e.g. melting process, polymorphic transformations, temperature of initiation, etc.), as well as to estimate thermal stability, and to study thermal decomposition. Furthermore, thermal methods can be also used for analytical purposes, such as identification of some commonly used high explosives, determination of their purity, determination of phlegmatiser content, etc. The aim of this work was to examine the possibility to apply differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermogravimetry (TGA) for the identification of the homogeneous propellants type. It has been found out from the shapes of DSC and TGA thermograms, i.e. from the position of some characteristic points on the theromograms that it is possible to distinguish clearly between nitrocellulose and double based propellants. Also, from the TGA thermogram the content of nitroglycerine in the double based propellants could be roughly determined. The presence and amounts of additives, such as stabilisers, modifiers of ballistic properties etc., cannot be identified and determined reliable by thermal methods.

thermal methods; homogeneous propellants; identification; differential scanning calorimetry; thermogravimetry

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