Accession Number:

AD0258390

Title:

Additive Effects in Solid Propellant Burning

Descriptive Note:

Technical publication

Corporate Author:

AEROCHEM RESEARCH LABS INC PRINCETON NJ

Personal Author(s):

• Silla, H.
• Burwasser, H.
• Calcote, H. F.

Report Date:

1960-05-01

Pagination or Media Count:

47.0

Abstract:

An experimental program was conducted to determine the effect of additives on the burning rates of ammonium perchlorate-polyesterpolystyrene solid propellant strands at 1 atm and below. The object of this was to learn more about the mechanism of solid propellant burning. Additives were incorporated either by adding them to the gas in which the propellant burned or by admixing them with the solid. Admixture with the solid produced burning rates for 0.025 to 0.049 insec while the rate without additive was 0.031 insec. Burning the propellant in an O atmosphere produced a tenfold increase in burning rate over burning it in N. Other oxidizers, e.g., ClO3F, caused a similar increase while H and He had no effect. The O is effective for stoichiometric propellants, and controlling the O flow controls the burning rate. The results are interpreted as showing that the fuel-oxidizer reactions in the gas phase of a burning propellant do not normally involve O which may even act as a catalyst. Burning rates in N atmospheres have a linear pressure dependence from 50 to 760 mm Hg. A comparison was made of these data with the Summerfield burning rate equation. A careful analysis of experimental errors was made with particular attention to the increase in burning rate due to a tilted burning surface.

Descriptors:

• *COMBUSTION
• *FUEL ADDITIVES
• *SOLID PROPELLANTS
• AMMONIUM COMPOUNDS
• ESTERS
• FLUORIDES
• NITROGEN
• OXIDIZERS
• OXYGEN
• PERCHLORATES
• PERCHLORYL RADICALS
• POLYMERS
• ROCKET PROPELLANTS
• STYRENES

Subject Categories:

• Combustion and Ignition
• Solid Rocket Propellants

Distribution Statement:

APPROVED FOR PUBLIC RELEASE