IGNITION OF AMMONIUM PERCHLORATE-BASED PROPELLANTS BY CONVECTIVE HEATING

Abstract

A study was made of the ignition of ammonium perchlorate-based propellants by convective heat fluxes of 20 to 160 cal/(sq. cm) (sec) in a shock-tube apparatus. The results of this research showed that ammonium- perchlorate propellants ignite by a thermal process in which the slow step in the sequence of events which lead to steady deflagration of the propellant is raising the surface to its ignition temperature. The results also suggest that the key chemical process in ignition is the thermal decomposition of ammonium perchlorate; reactions involving fuel ingredients become important immediately following that reaction. Deviations from behavior predicted by simple thermal theory were found for propellants with rough surfaces, but not for those with smooth surfaces.

Open PDF

Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Aug 01, 1966
Accession Number
AD0638647

Entities

People

  • Alva D. Baer
  • John A. Keller
  • Norman W. Ryan

Organizations

  • University of Utah

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Boundary Layer
  • Burning Rate
  • Ceramic Materials
  • Chemical Reaction Properties
  • Chemical Reactions
  • Chemical Synthesis
  • Chemistry
  • Combustion
  • Composite Propellants
  • Energy Transfer
  • Heat Transfer
  • Ignition
  • Materials Laboratories
  • Materials Science
  • Materials Testing
  • Polymeric Films
  • Surface Properties

Fields of Study

  • Physics

Readers

  • Rocket Propulsion.
  • Thermal Physics or Thermal Science.