Interfacial Properties towards Additive Manufacturing of Solid Propellants Propellants
Abstract
Unique composite propellant grain geometries will enable unprecedented control of rocket motor ballistics. Additive manufacturing (AM) approaches are needed to fabricate these potentially intricate geometries. Insight into the rheological and interfacial physics of propellant ingredients is needed to successfully use AM to fabricate composite propellants. This effort seeks todetermine how to control the underlying interfacial physics between oxidizing particles and binder components to optimize AM approaches for these materials. Static and dynamic contact angles will quantify the wetting phenomenon of oxidizer particles in binder and binder basedsolutions. The effect of fluid strain rate at relevant mixing conditions will determine how these materials are wetted during propellant mixing processes. Surface modifications of single crystals and polycrystalline powders will create a methodology and understanding how these wetting behaviors can be controlled as well as provide a basic understanding of the physics in traditionalpropellant manufacturing. The influences of these variable will be used to understand how the bulk mechanical properties of propellants can be controlled and altered. Finally, experiments and an analytical model will be developed to provide a quantitative understanding of the mixing process particularly with the aid of resonant acoustic mixers. The outcome of this effort will provide the scientific knowledge needed to additively manufacture propellants as well asadditional insight into propellant mixing processes. New and underrepresented students will be introduced and participate in academic research in solid propulsion during the course of this project.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Jun 17, 2020
- Source ID
- N000142012537
Entities
People
- Joseph Kalman
Organizations
- California State University, Long Beach
- Office of Naval Research
- United States Navy