Ammonium perchlorate density

Oxidizers. The characteristics of the oxidizer affect the baUistic and mechanical properties of a composite propellant as well as the processibihty. Oxidizers are selected to provide the best combination of available oxygen, high density, low heat of formation, and maximum gas volume in reaction with binders. Increases in oxidizer content increase the density, the adiabatic flame temperature, and the specific impulse of a propellant up to a maximum. The most commonly used inorganic oxidizer in both composite and nitroceUulose-based rocket propellant is ammonium perchlorate. The primary combustion products of an ammonium perchlorate propellant and a polymeric binder containing C, H, and O are CO2, H2, O2, and HCl. Ammonium nitrate has been used in slow burning propellants, and where a smokeless exhaust is requited. Nitramines such as RDX and HMX have also been used where maximum energy is essential. 

Ammonium perchlorate is a colorless, crystalline compound having a density of 1.95 g/mL and a molecular weight of 117.5. It is prepared by a double displacement reaction between sodium perchlorate and ammonium chloride, and is crystallized from water as the anhydrous salt. 

The fire department blamed the accident on welders cutting in hazardous areas without a fire watch, highly combustible structural components (fiber-glass-resin), high-density storage of highly flammable and detonable material, spilled ammonium perchlorate about the plant, and high w ind conditions. 

Interstitial Gas on the Shock Sensitivity of Low Explosive Compacts , Ibid, 349-58(1965) 13) Marjorie W. Evans et al, Shock Initiation of Low-Density Pressing of Ammonium Perchlorate , Ibid, 359-71 14) Donna Price T.P. 

Shock Initiation of Low-Density Pressings of Ammonium Perchlorate , 4thONRSymp-Deton (1965), 359-72... 

Price, "Contrasting Patterns in the Behavior of High Explosives , llthSympCombstn (1967), p 695, Fig 4, which shows that for Group 2 explosives deton vel at first increases with density, then it falls, and finally the detonation fails) 10) D. Price et al, "Explosive Behavior of Ammonium Perchlorate , Combustion Flame 11, p 419, Figs 5 6 (1967) (Detonation velocity vs density of AP curves show that increase of density above critical values results in failures)... 

For pure primary secondary explosives (except for border-line HE such as Ammonium Nitrate or Ammonium Perchlorate) dcr decreases as p0 increases until p0 approaches very close single crystal density when dcr may increase drastically. Thus if we limit ourselves to p0 < 0.9pcrySt, increases in p0 (according to Eq 8) should result in a greater sensitivity to impact. This is quite the opposite of what is found for shock initiation and will be examined more closely later on. At a fixed density, dcr increases as p. increases (see A B, p 90). This increase is fairly pronounced at small p (<0.2 mm) but levels off becomes almost asymptotic at large p (>0.4mm, except for cast TNT or TNT with 1% paraffin oil). Thus an increase in p, as expected, leads to a decrease... 

With binder content held constant, an increase in aluminum content is obtained at the expense of ammonium perchlorate content. Since aluminum has a greater density (2.70 gm./cu. cm.) than ammonium perchlorate (1.95 gm./cu. cm.), this exchange can greatly increase the fluidity of the mixed propellant, particularly if the aluminum which is used is spherical or spheroidal in contrast to the shape of ground ammonium perchlorate. 

Volume swelling measurements have produced erratic results even under the most carefully controlled conditions. One important contribution in this regard is the work of Bills and Salcedo (8). These investigations showed that the binder-filler bond could be completely released with certain solvent systems and that the volume swelling ratio is independent of the filler content when complete release is achieved. Some thermodynamic problems exist, however, when such techniques are used to measure crosslink density quantitatively. First, equilibrium swelling is difficult to achieve since the fragile swollen gel tends to deteriorate with time even under the best conditions. Second, the solubility of the filler (ammonium perchlorate) and other additives tends to alter the solution thermodynamics of the system in an uncontrollable manner. Nonreproducible polymer-solvent interaction results, and replicate value of crosslink density are not obtained. 

The composition of the propellant was not revealed. It is only known that the propellant contains ammonium perchlorate as an oxidizer and has a very high density. 

One of the conclusions drawn from this study is that, ... low bulk density ammonium perchlorate (UFAP) powders bum stably over a wide pressure range (1 to 100 atms) when insulated and partially fuel assisted. .. ]... 

Ammonium perchlorate explodes under the impact of a 10-kg weight dropped from a height of 15 cm. According to Kast [15] the rate of detonation of a sample of density 1.17 g/cm3, in an iron pipe 35 mm dia. was 2500 m/sec, the net expansion in the lead block being 220 cm3. 

Ammonium perchlorate, NH4C104.—The perchlorate is formed by mixing solutions of barium perchlorate and ammonium sulphate, by the action of ammonium nitrate on sodium perchlorate,8 and by that of ammonium chloride on calcium or magnesium perchlorate.10 It forms rhombic,11 doubly refracting crystals,12 of density 1 88 at 25° C. Its solubility at 18° C. is 21 07 grams in 100 grams of water.18 It is de-... 

Copper sulphate is rather cheaper than copper acetoarsenite and produces a pretty blue colour in combination with ammonium perchlorate which is almost as good as the colour produced by copper acetoarsenite. Anpther advantage is that it is not easily scattered, due to its density. 

Melhylaminc nitrate Teiramcthylammonium nitrate Guanidine nitrate Nitrates of aromatic amines Ammonium chlorate Ammonium perchlorate Crystal structure and physical properties Thermal decomposition and burning of A P Thermal decomposition of irradiated ammonium perchlorate Influence of pressure on burning of A P Density and critical diameter... 

Pricc Claiimont and Jaffc (83aJ carried out an extensive investigation of de-tonation of ammonium perchlorate as a function of density and particle size. They expressed their results in equation (9) ... 

Ammonium perchlorate of various fineness is used to give a better packing. Particle size distribution is of great importance to density, rheological properties of the viscous mass, mechanical properties and burning of the propellant. Rheological properties obviously depend on polymer binder which is of course the combustible ingredient in propellants. 

Most surface area determinations are based on measurements of the low temperature adsorption of nitrogen or krypton on the solid and use of the BET theory. This procedure may not give reliable results because the products are chilled well below reaction temperature, possibly resulting in the sealing of internal pores. Volumes of gases adsorbed are sometimes small, as observed for dehydrated alums [37] and decomposed ammonium perchlorate [48], where the areas are consistent with product crystallites of linear dimensions between 1 and 3 pm. The results indicate, however, that little, if any, zeolitic material is formed [36]. The surface area of a solid may also be estimated from electron micrographs. Density measurements may be used to complement area measurements. 

Syntheses have been made of energetically substituted cubanes. For example, 1,3,5,7-tetranitrocubane [10] (shown in Fig. 26) has been synthesized. As noted previously, its density is 1.814 g/cc. Another is the flu-dinitroethy] ester of tetracarboxycubane [36] (Fig. 27). The density is 1.762 g/cc. An energetic ammonium perchlorate substitution of cubone has been made in the form of 1,4-bis-cubanediammonium perchlorate hydrate [40] (Fig. 28). The dashed lines in Fig. 28 represent some of the many hydrogen bonds that occur in the crystal whose density is 1.7S5 g/ce. An estimate of the dry density extrapolated from this work is 1.83 g/cc- It was obtained by subtracting the volume and mass of water from the unit cell contents. The volume of H2O was taken to be the same as that in liquid water. 

Dolgoborodov et al. have shown that mechanochemicaUy activated mixtures of aluminium or magnesium with PTFE can be shock initiated to undergo fast reactions [40-47]. Figure 13.15 shows the reaction velocity as a function of stoichiometry. For two stoichiometries, the influence of density is also indicated, clearly showing that Al/PTFE rather behaves like an ammonium perchlorate-type explosive with respect to its density [48]. 

Oxidizer. The major component of most composite solid propellants is the oxidizer. By far the most important oxidizer used in recent years is ammonium perchlorate (AP). This chemical possesses the desirable properties of high density, good thermal stability and oxygen availability, and relatively low reac-... 

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