Research on the thermal decomposition behavior of NEPE propellant containing CL-20

- The thermal decomposition behavior of CL-20-NEPE propellant was studied by means of the designed formulation that the ingredients are added one by one.
- The thermal decomposition process of CL-20-NEPE propellant and the interaction among the components were investigated by TG, DSC, and fast thermolysis/RSFT-IR.
- The decomposition mechanism was revealed through the appearing time of NO2 and the initial thermal decomposition reaction rate of NO2.
- The influence of CL-20, AP, Al and catalyst on the decomposition regulation of CL-20-NEPE propellant was researched.

The thermal decomposition characteristics of NEPE propellant containing CL-20(CL-20-NEPE propellant) was investigated by thermogravimetry (TG), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), the combination technique of fast thermolysis probe with rapid-scan Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy(fast thermolysis/RSFT-IR). The gas products of thermal decomposition were obtained and the curves of IR characteristic absorption intensity vs. temperature(time) for gas products were given. The curve of IR characteristic absorption intensity vs. temperature(time) for NO2 was selected to compare the interaction of components and the results show that the decomposition of NG is accelerated by CL-20 and AP, while the thermal decomposition temperature of CL-20 decreases due to the decomposition products of AP. Al powder has little influence on the decomposition of AP, CL-20 and NG. The initial decomposition of NG, CL-20 and AP, especially for NG, is restrained by adding the catalyst to the propellant.