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Investigation of the reason for the softening behaviour of solid propellants
Author(s) -
Aksel Nuri,
Hübner Christof
Publication year - 1992
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.19920170412
Subject(s) - propellant , polybutadiene , softening , materials science , elastomer , composite material , solid fuel rocket , hydroxyl terminated polybutadiene , composite number , relaxation (psychology) , stress relaxation , softening point , polymer , forensic engineering , chemistry , creep , psychology , social psychology , engineering , copolymer , organic chemistry
Composite solid propellants consist of an elastomeric polymer binder in which various types of solid particles (oxidizer, fuel, combustion and stabilizing additives, etc.) are incorported. One of the most common state of the art binders is hydroxy‐terminated polybutadiene (HTPB). The mechanical properties and the damage behaviour of the solid propellant have important relevance for its application in a rocket motor. Therefore, in this work the softening of crosslinked filled polybutadienes as an effect of mechnical load, and the subsequent recovery were examined at small strains. The contributing factors to the softening are discussed in terms of macroscopic obervable phenomena and of microscopic and molecualr mechnisms which cause those phenomena. It is shown that most of the softening is recoverable because it is due to stress‐relaxation at the test conditions used.