A STUDY ON THE THERMAL-DECOMPOSITION OF MIXTURES CONTAINING AN ENERGETIC BINDER AND A NITRAMINE

In this paper, a differential thermal analyzer (DTA) and a thermogravimetric analyzer (TGA) were both employed to study the thermal decomposition of mixtures containing an energetic binder and a nitramine compound. The energetic binders investigated were polyethylene glycol (PEG) and glycidyl azide polymer (GAP). Both cyclotriethylene trinitramine (RDX) and cyclotetraethylene tetranitramine (HMX) were studied. The heating rate was set at 10-degrees-C min-1. The purge gas was nitrogen or oxygen. It was found that the thermal decompositions of the mixtures were affected by the sample composition and the atmosphere employed. The decomposition reaction rates of PEG and GAP increased when they were heated under oxygen. Because the polymer binders are energetic, both RDX and HMX nitramine compounds in the mixtures decomposed earlier and the reaction rate was increased.