Thermal analysis study of ammonium nitrate in the presence of NiCuCr2O4 additive

Abstract

Nickel-copper chromite (NiCuCr₂O₄) was synthesized by the co-precipitation method using sodium hydroxide as a precipitating agent. The composition of ammonium nitrate (AN):NiCuCr₂O₄ (mass ratio 98:2) was used for the comparative thermal analysis study. The results suggested that ammonium nitrate containing nickel-copper chromite (AN + NiCuCr₂O₄) can act as a potential energetic material to replace AN in energetic applications. The activation energy of AN + NiCuCr₂O₄ was decreased by 85.7 kJ mol⁻¹ compared to pure AN along with a reduction in the peak decomposition temperature. The lower activation energy and low pre-exponential factor can fasten AN + NiCuCr₂O₄’s decomposition at a lower temperature.