Hydroxy-terminated polybutadiene propellant

The polymeric hydrocarbon also acts as a binder of the particles, holding them together so as to formulate a propellant grain. Ammonium perchlorate (AP) is a typical crystalline oxidizer and hydroxy-terminated polybutadiene (HTPB) is a typical polymeric fuel. When AP and HTPB are decomposed thermally on the propellant surface, oxidizer and fuel gases are produced, which diffuse into each other and react to produce high-temperature combustion gases. 

Hydroxy-terminated polybutadiene (HTPB) is considered to be the best binder for obtaining high combustion performance, superior elongation properties at low temperatures, and superior mechanical strength properties at high temperatures. This combination of properties is difficult to achieve in double-base propellants. HTPB is characterized by terminal -OH groups on a butadiene polymer. The other type of butadiene polymer used is carboxy-terminated polybutadiene (CTPB), which is cured with an imine or an epoxy resin. It should be noted that CTPB is somewhat sensitive to humidity, which has an adverse effect on its ageing charac-... 

There are a number of inert binders such as polyester, epoxy, polysulfide, polyurethane which have been reported as binders for composite propellants and plastic bonded explosives (PBXs). At present, hydroxy-terminated polybutadiene (HTPB) is regarded as the state-of-the-art workhorse binder for such applications. However, the recent trend is to use energetic binders such as poly [3,3-bis(azidomethyl oxetane)] [poly(BAMO)], poly (3-azidomethyl-3-methyl oxetane) [poly(AMMO)], PNP, GAP diol and triol, nitrated HTPB(NHTPB), poly(NiMMO), poly(GlyN) and nitrated cyclodextrin polymers poly(CDN) for PBXs and composite propellants in order to get better performance. 

Another rubber which appears to be of interest for insulation of rocket motors is hydrogenated hydroxy-terminated polybutadiene (HHTPB). As this rubber is derived from HTPB, it is more compatible and would also have strong bond with the HTPB-based propellants. Further, as the quantum of unsaturahon is considerably reduced in HHTPB, the life of rocket motors insulated with HHTPB will also be more. In a nutshell, the use of HHTPB results in an increased stability to... 

Composite rocket propellants are two-phase mixtures comprising a crystalline oxidizer in a polymeric fuel/binder matrix. The oxidizer is a finely-dispersed powder of ammonium perchlorate which is suspended in a fuel. The fuel is a plasticized polymeric material which may have rubbery properties (i.e. hydroxy-terminated polybutadiene crosslinked with a diisocyanate) or plastic properties (i.e. polycaprolactone). Composite rocket propellants can be either extruded or cast depending on the type of fuel employed. For composite propellants which are plastic in nature, the technique of extrusion is employed, whereas for composite propellants which are rubbery, cast or extruded techniques are used. 

Composite rocket propellant Ammonium perchlorate Hydroxy-terminated polybutadiene Aluminium Other additives 2400 2850... 

Composite rocket propeiiants. This type of propellant contains two-phase mixtures with a aystalhne oxidizer in a polymeric fuel or binder matrix. The finely dispersed powder of ammonium perchlorate suspended in a fuel is the oxidizer. The fuel is a plasticized polymeric material such as hydroxy-terminated polybutadiene cross-linked with a diisocyanate (rubber ts e) or carboxy-terminated polybutadiene (plastic type) [4]. 

Composite rocket propellants that have a specific impulse of 2400 N.S.Kg and a flame temperature of 2850 K, contain ammonium perchlorate, hydroxy-terminated polybutadiene, aluminum, and other additives [4]. 

A hydroxy-terminated polybutadiene (HTPB)Zisophorone diisocyanate (IPDI) elastomer is commonly used as propellant binder material. Solid-state NMR relaxation times have been used as a means to predict the mechanical properties of the binder as a function of ageing time. 

In order to understand the behavior of composite propellants during motor ignition, we conducted a study of the mechanical and ultimate properties of a propellant filled with hydroxy-terminated polybutadiene under imposed hydrostatic pressure. The mechanical response of the propellant was examined by uniaxial tensile and simple shear tests at various temperatures, strain rates, and superimposed pressures from atmospheric pressure to 15 MPa. The experimentally observed ultimate properties were strongly pressure-sensitive. The data were formalized in a specific stress-failure criterion. 

The Hydrostatic Pressure Effect. The particular hydroxy-terminated polybutadiene (HTPB) solid propellant employed here is a polybutadi-... 

Supercritical fractionation was investigated for the special-purpose polymers of both the diol and triol of a glycidyl azide polymer and a hydroxy-terminated polybutadiene. Hydroxy polybutadiene is used on a large scale as an ingredient in plastic bonded explosive (PBX) propellant formulations the hydroxy functionality of the polybutadiene reacts with an isocyanate functionality of another prepolymer to form a urethane. In the polysiloxanes section we referred to functionally terminated polymers as macromonomers in the terminology of the urethane industry, however, isocyanate-terminated polyester polymers are normally referred to as prepolymers in their reaction to form the urethane, even though the prepolymers are typically between 1,000 and 10,000 molecular weight. 

Adhesion between the propellant and the case in solid rocket fuel propellants was studied. The adhesion mechanisms between an inert propellant (a highly filled PU, based on hydroxy-terminated polybutadiene prepolymer, diisocyanate and inert loadings) and a liner of the same nature of prepolymer, diisocyanate, chain extenders and carbon black were investigated. The interfacial properties were found to be influenced by the properties of the prepolymer used. The adhesion of the assembly was only slightly affected by the state of cure of the liner before propellant coating. In peel tests, cohesive failure occurred in the propellant near the interface, IR spectrometry of the propellant surface after separation showed the formation of an interphase in the propellant, dependant on the prepolymer. 3 refs. 

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