Influence of Ammonium Perchlorate Granulation and Wetting Agent Addition on the Burning Rate of PVC Plastisol-Based Solid Composite Propellants

In this study, the optimization of the burning rate of composite solid propellant based on plastisol PVC was investigated by altering ammonium perchlorate (AP) particle size distribution and employing a wetting agent. Two different PVC grades, LP-۱۷۰ and PB۱۳۰۲, along with the plasticizer Dibutyl Phthalate (DBP) as the binder, were utilized. Various AP particle sizes, including AP+ (۲۰ μm), AP (۳۵۰ μm), and AP۱۸۰ (۱۸۰ um as an intermediate size), were employed. The primary objective was to reduce viscosity to enhance solid loading, improve burning rate, and ultimately enhance propellant performance. The optimal formulation consisted of ۲/۳ AP + ۱/۳ APf combined with a wetting agent composed of Glycerol Monooleate (GMO) and Dioctyl Sodium Sulfosuccinate (AOT) mixed equally, comprising ۰.۳% of the formulation by weight. The results demonstrated that this optimized composition increased the solid loading by ۵% for LP-۱۷۰ grade and ۶% for PB۱۳۰۲ grade, effectively enhancing the burning rate. Furthermore, the sample containing the optimal AP combination and wetting agent exhibited the highest burning rate across all tested pressures (۵۰, ۶۰, and ۷۰ bar). The analysis of the pressure profile derived from the tests revealed that increasing the solid loading and enhancing the burning rate resulted in higher combustion chamber pressure, which consequently led to higher thrust production and improved specific impulse. Additionally, the burning rate of the LP-۱۷۰ grade was higher than that of PB۱۳۰۲ due to more effective particle-binder interactions. These optimizations play a crucial role in improving the performance of composite solid propellants.

کلیدواژه ها:

Composite Solid Propellant ، Plastisol PVC ، Burning Rate ، Ammonium Perchlorate ، Specific Impulse