Influence of ammonium nitrate incorporation on the thermal decomposition kinetics of nitrostarch-based energetic composite
Nassima Sahnoun, Amir Abdelaziz, Djalal Trache, Ahmed Fouzi Tarchoun, Hani Boukeciat, Amel Meslem, Weiqiang Pang
Abstract
The primary objective of this study was the development of a novel energetic composite formulation, focusing on the elucidation of the influence of incorporating an energetic oxidizer , ammonium nitrate (AN), on the thermal decomposition behavior of a double-base composition , comprising nitrated potato starch (NPS) or nitrostarch as the polymeric binder and diethylene glycol dinitrate (DEGDN) as an energetic plasticizer . The optimal composition of the energetic composite was determined through theoretical performance calculations using the CEA-NASA program. The optimized AN@NPS-DEGDN energetic composite was comprehensively characterized using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The FTIR results demonstrated that the NPS-DEGDN demonstrated good chemical compatibility with AN. The textural analysis by SEM revealed that the AN particles are homogeneously dispersed within the NPS-DEGDN matrix. Thermal analysis results showed that the introduction of AN significantly enhanced the thermolysis-released heat of the double-base formulation. Furthermore, isoconversional kinetic modeling exhibited a substantial decrease in the composite thermolysis activation energy , corroborating the excellent catalytic effect of AN on the NPS-DEGDN composite. These findings highlight the potential of the developed AN@NPS-DEGDN composite as a promising candidate for advanced energetic applications, offering improved performance and environmental sustainability .