Facile fabrication of Fe3O4 and Co3O4 microspheres and their influence on the thermal decomposition of ammonium perchlorate

•Highly uniform Fe3O4 and Co3O4 microspheres were successfully synthesized.•The Tc of AP with 1, 2, 4 and 8 wt% of Fe3O4 microspheres was decreased by 58, 80, 102 and 129 °C.•The Tc of AP with 1, 2, 4 and 8 wt% of Co3O4 microspheres was decreased by 55, 74, 112 and 131 °C.•The thermal decomposition process of AP was detected by TG-IR.

Fe3O4 and Co3O4 microspheres were successfully synthesized by the hydrothermal decomposition of iron oxalate and cobalt oxalate solution. The composition and morphology of synthesized powders were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) techniques. The catalytic properties of the as-obtained Fe3O4 and Co3O4 microspheres on the thermal decomposition of ammonium perchlorate (AP) were evaluated by thermo-gravimetric analysis and differential thermal analysis (TGA/DTA) methods. The thermal decomposition temperatures of AP in the presence of 1, 2, 4 and 8 wt% of Fe3O4 microspheres were respectively decreased by 58, 80, 102 and 129 °C (lowered to 398, 376, 354 and 327 °C). And the thermal decomposition temperatures of AP in the presence of 1, 2, 4 and 8 wt% of Co3O4 microspheres were respectively decreased by 55, 74, 112 and 131 °C (lowered to 401, 382, 344 and 325 °C). The analysis of the thermal gravimetric analyzer couplet with infrared spectroscopy (TG-IR) test reveal that the additives can accelerate the thermal decomposition of AP via the high-temperature decomposition. All the results suggest the as-prepared Fe3O4 and Co3O4 microspheres have highly catalytic properties on the thermal decomposition of AP, which can be used as the promising additives in the future.

Graphical abstractReal-time FTIR spectra to reveal the thermal decomposition process of AP.Figure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload as PowerPoint slide