engleski

Influence of ageing on nitrocellulose thermal properties and hazared potential figure-of-merit

Thermal decomposition reactions in nitrocellulose, which is the basic component of homogeneous propellants, limits the safe use and safe storage time of propellants. Under certain conditions the decomposition may lead to the well-known phenomenon of self-ignition. The influence of accelerated ageing of a nitrocellulose propellant on the changes of the heat capacity, activation energy, pre-exponential factor, heat of decomposition, and hazard potential figures-of-merit is studied in the paper. The study is performed applying differential scanning calorimetry and the thermal explosion theory. It is found out that the activation energy, pre-exponential factor, and heat of decomposition decrease with ageing, while the heat capacity increases. That causes a decrease of the critical temperature, critical sample half-thickness, time-to-thermal runway, and consequently an increase of thermal hazard potential.

ageing; nitrocellulose; thermal properties; hazard potential

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