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Thermomechanical Properties of Rocket Propellants and Correlation with cookoff behaviour
Author(s) -
Ho S. Y.
Publication year - 1995
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.19950200409
Subject(s) - propellant , rocket (weapon) , materials science , aerospace engineering , composite material , engineering
The cookoff behaviour of several plasticized HTPB/AP and HTPB/RDX propellants has been evaluated using the standard Small‐Scale Cookoff Bomb (based on the NWC design) and a modified version of the standard equipment (whereby the reaction violence can be measured quantitatively) to investigate the effects of (1) plasticizer level on the thermomechanical properties and its role in moderating the cookoff response, and (2) heating rate. A change from slow to fast cookoff behaviour was observed for the plasticized HTPB/RDX propellants; the measured pressures/energy output at the slow heating rate were much lower than those at the fast heating rate for the same propellants. The thermal distribution/gradient at various positions and depths in the cylindrical propellant specimen, during fast and slow cookoff, were measured in order to understand the reversal in the severity of the response shown by the plasticized RDX propellants when the heating rate was changed. Thermomechanical properties of the propellants were measured and correlated with cookoff behaviour, to provide further insight into the cookoff mechanisms.