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Aluminum Agglomeration on Burning Surface of NEPE Propellants at 3–5 MPa
Author(s) -
Liu Xin,
Ao Wen,
Liu Huan,
Liu Peijin
Publication year - 2017
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.201600131
Subject(s) - agglomerate , propellant , economies of agglomeration , coalescence (physics) , aluminium , materials science , particle size , mineralogy , chemical engineering , composite material , chemistry , organic chemistry , engineering , physics , astrobiology
Aluminum agglomeration and agglomerate sizes of NEPE propellants were studied by cinephotomicrography at pressures of 3 and 5 MPa. Accumulation, aggregation, and agglomeration of aluminum particles similar to that at pressures below 1 MPa were observed. Coalescence of two agglomerates on the burning surface is obtained for the first time. A decrease in the burning rate from 8 to 5 mm s −1 leads to about 20 % increase in the agglomerate diameter. The pressure is found to have no direct influence on the agglomerate diameter when the burning rate is kept constant. The evolution of the agglomerate diameter according to the increase of the virgin aluminum size from 16 to 36 μm is convex in shape and reached its maximum at a particle diameter of 29 μm. Increasing the amount of RDX crystals added in the propellants causes a larger agglomerate diameter. The experimental mass average agglomerate diameters were compared with various agglomeration models. It is found that Hermsen and Salita empirical models have a higher accuracy for NEPE propellants rather than Becksted, Liu, or pocket models.