Thermal Decomposition of Liquid Gun Propellant

Thermal Decomposition of Liquid Gun Propellant The Liquid Gun Propellant (LGP) tested in the solids recirculation was LP XM-46, which is 24% TEAN (triethanol ammonium nitrate) and 76% HAN (hydroxy-ammonium nitrate. The mixture was diluted 1 3 in water. The diluted LGP was injected at an initial rate of 0.06 gal/min and later increased to 0.1 gal/min. The operation was run in pyrolysis and combustion modes. 

In the pyrolysis mode, the decomposition products were removed from the moving bed reactor, and the driver gases were recycled. This produced a small, concentrated stream of decomposition products, where 18% of the feed nitrogen was emitted as nitrogen-bearing oxides. Over 60% of the injected carbon is accounted for as COz, with the remainder as CO. 

The results in either mode of operation of the solids recirculation system with LGP do not compare favorably with molten salt destruction (MSD). Only 0.58% of injected nitrogen is emitted as oxide and 0.11% of injected carbon is emitted as CO in MSD. This represents a major reduction in emitted pollutants for MSD. 

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