Nitrocellulose/glycidylazide-polymer/erythritol-tetranitrate Energetic Nanocomposites Fabricated Using a Sol-gel-freeze Method

Abstract

Nitrocellulose/glycidylazide-polymer/erythritol-tetranitrate (NC/GAP/ETN) nanocomposite energetic materials were fabricated using a sol-gel-freeze method. The microstructure, crystal phase and molecular structure were characterized by SEM, XRD and IR. Meanwhile, the thermal properties, energy properties and mechanical sensitivity of the composites were also studied. The ETN particle size is about 500nm, and few partial gel skeleton collapsed and contracted. No phase transformation of the ETN occurred before or after fabrication, and the molecular structures of the ETN, NC and GAP did not change. There is only one exothermic peak in the DSC traces and the peak temperature of nanocomposites are approximately 62°C, 24°C and 41°C earlier than raw ETN. The Isp, C*, Tc, Mc, and Qp increase with the weight percentage of ETN increasing, and the oxygen balance of three samples is still negative. The mechanical sensitivity are all lower than raw ETN. The energy performance and safety performance of samples are improved.