Polymers glycidyl azide

Gun Propellents. Low sensitivity gun propeUants, often referred to as LOVA (low vulnerabUity ammunition), use RDX or HMX as the principal energy components, and desensitizing binders such as ceUulose acetate butyrate or thermoplastic elastomers (TPE) including poly acetal—polyurethane block copolymers, polystyrene—polyacrjiate copolymers, and glycidyl azide polymers (GAP) to provide the required mechanical... 

Niehaus, M., Compounding of Glycidyl Azide Polymer with Nitrocellulose and its Influence on the Properties of Propellants, Propellants, Explosives, Pyrotechnics, Vol. 25, 2000, pp. 236-240. 

Komai, L, Kobayashi, K., and Kato, K., Burning Rate Characteristics of Glycidyl Azide Polymer (GAP) Fuels and Propellants, Solid Propellant Chemistry, Combustion, and Motor Interior Ballistics (Ed. Yang, V, Brill, T. B., and Ren, W.-Z.J, Progress in Astronautics and Aeronautics, Vol. 185, Chapter 2.9, AlAA, Virginia, 2000. 

The azide chemical bond, represented by -N3, contains thermal energy, which is released when the bond is broken without oxidation. Typical chemicals containing azide bonds are glycidyl azide polymer, designated as GAP, BAMO, and AMMO. These polymers are copolymerized with hydrocarbon polymers to formulate fuel-... 

Glycidyl azide polymer is produced in a two-step process. First, epi-chlorhydrine in the presence of bortriflouride, is polymerized into poly-epichlorhydrine. Using dimethylformamide as a solvent, the polymer is then processed with sodium azide at high temperature. Nearly all the inorganic components as well as the solvent are removed, leaving the raw final product free of low molecular weight compounds. 

Glycidyl azide polymer was originally developed in the USA as an -> Active Binder tor - Composite Propellants. Because this gas-producing component has been shown to have a low explosion temperature, it has been used in recent years as an active binder compound in -> LOVA gun propellant. 

As a binder system polymers are utilized. If the binders contain energy or gas-producing molecular groups (-N02, -N3), one classifies the binders as Active Binders (e.g. polynitropolyphenylene, glycidyl azide polymer, polyvinyl nitrate and nitrocellulose). If these substances are not present, then the binders are classified as inert binders. Depending on available processing methods, binder types such as thermoset material, thermoplast or gelatinizers can be used. They can then be formed and cured by chemical or physical means. 

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