MECHANISM OF THE DECOMPOSITION OF AMMONIUM PERCHLORATE

Abstract

Although it is generally accepted that the principle initial step in the decomposition of ammonium perchlorate is proton transfer, details of the subsequent reactions have not been resolved. In this report, full use is made of recently published data on perchloric acid and chlorine dioxide flames, on the oxidation of ammonia, on the reactions of nitroxyl and on the reactions of the chlorine oxides, to deduce a detailed mechanism for the chemical decomposition of ammonium perchlorate. Whilst emphasis has been given to the high temperature decomposition, the basic mechanism is adaptable to a wide range of conditions: to the low temperature decomposition, to combustion, to the catalysed decomposition and to decomposition under various reactive gases. The central feature of the mechanism is that, in the decomposition of ammonium perchlorate, ammonia is oxidized principally by the ClO radical.

Open PDF

Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
May 01, 1969
Accession Number
AD0702569

Entities

People

  • G. S. Pearson
  • P. W. Jacobs

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Ammonium Perchlorate
  • Body Weight
  • Catalysts
  • Chemical Reaction Properties
  • Chemical Reactions
  • Chemistry
  • Chlorine
  • Combustion
  • Decomposition
  • Dissociation
  • Energy
  • Heat Of Activation
  • High Temperature
  • Low Temperature
  • Oxidation
  • Perchloric Acid
  • Pressure Measurement

Readers

  • Combustion science or combustion engineering.
  • Systems Analysis and Design