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Ignition of composite propellant at subatmospheric pressures by means of carbon dioxide laser
Author(s) -
Sofue T.,
Iwama A.
Publication year - 1979
Publication title -
propellants, explosives, pyrotechnics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.56
H-Index - 65
eISSN - 1521-4087
pISSN - 0721-3115
DOI - 10.1002/prep.19790040504
Subject(s) - ignition system , carbon dioxide , atmosphere (unit) , ammonium perchlorate , radiant flux , materials science , heat flux , thermodynamics , chemistry , propellant , autoignition temperature , carbon monoxide , minimum ignition energy , heat transfer , optics , physics , organic chemistry , biochemistry , catalysis
Ignition behavior of solid propellant composed of 25 wt% polybutadiene and 75% ammonium perchlorate under subatmospheric conditions has been studied using a carbon dioxide laser whose radiant flux is uniformalized. Data of ignition time in Ar, N 2 and He atmospheres, and critical radiant flux and pressures over which ignition might be achieved, were obtained. Moreover, the data were compared with theoretical values, taking account of variable heat conductivity for the ambient gases with a surface ignition hypothesis. It is concluded that these ambient gases participate in the pre‐ and post‐ignition reactions and the ignition preventive behavior of He atmosphere is not predictable merely based on its high transport properties. The detailed observation of the ignition transient near the critical pressure revealed that the ignition in Ar atmosphere occurs in gas phase under less than 100 torr whereas in He atmosphere it occurs always at the condensed phase surface.