Aluminum Hydride Propellant Shelflife
Abstract
The thermal stability and service life capability of an A1H/TVOPA and PCDE based propellants were evaluated relying upon accelerated surveillance tests accompanied by X-ray analyses, off-gas analyses, tensile testing and determination of creep failure distributions. The Halpin statistical cumulative damage analysis principle was implemented for interpreting the creep failure test data. Catalytic gas scavengers were shown to extend the 20C shelflife of A1H/TVOPA propellants to better than 3 years. However, difficulties in assuring close batch-to-batch reproducibility, and noticeable binder degradation at storage temperatures in excess of 20C cause this propellant to be of questionable merit in military application. A ballistically optimized PCDE propellant failed within relatively short storage times at moderate temperatures, and the rather premature failure was attributed to a combination of internal gassing and binder polymer degradation. Both deficiencies appear to be associated with residual impurities, or structural irregularities in the prepolymer, and the problem is expected to be overcome by further material development. The Halpin statistical cumulative damage analysis approach, which was used to analyze and interpret the creep failure data, was shown to be applicable for assessing the effects of chemical aging upon creep failure distributions and to provide a means for predicting propellant-in-motor service life under given time-temperature-load conditions.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Nov 01, 1974
- Accession Number
- ADB001669
Entities
People
- W. E. Baumgartner
Organizations
- Lockheed Propulsion Company