HIGH ENERGY MATERIALS

DR. S. G. KULKARNI,
HEAD,
DEPARTMENT OF EXPLOSIVES AND APPLIED CHEMISTRY,

DEFENCE INSTITUTE OF ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY

 FAVOURABLE BONDS IN HIGH
ENERGY MATERIALS
(EXPLOSIVES AND PROPELLANTS)
BOND BOND ENERGY
KJ / mole Kcal / mole
N–S 112.1 26.78
O–O 140.6 33.58
Cl – O 154.4 36.88
N–N 158.2 37.79
Cl – N 191.6 45.77
N–O 238.5 66.98
ROCKET PROPELLANTS
 HISTORY
SOLID ROCKET PROPELLANTS
• GUN POWDER PRESSED ONTO BAMBOO TUBES (13TH
CENTURY).
• GUN POWDER PRESSED INTO METAL CASINGS
(1791, 1799, BATTLES OF SRIRANGAPATANA )
• CONGREVE ROCKETS (1803)
• NC (1845), NG (1846) & DOUBLE BASE
PROPELLANTS OF NC AND NG BY ALFRED NOBEL
(1863) & FREDRECK ABEL (1891) EXTRUDED
DOUBLE BASE PROPELLANT WITH 6”DIA DURING
WW II .
• CAST D.B. PROPELLANTS (1951)-ERDE,ENGLAND.
• COMPOSITE ROCKET PROPELLANTS
 LIQUID ROCKET PROPELLANTS
• EDUARD ZIALOKOVOLSKY IN RUSSIA (1903) H2 (1)+
O2 (1). EXPLORATION OF SPACE WITH REACTIVE
DEVICES.
• ROBERT GODDARO (1919) AT CLARK UNIVERSITY,
USA , GASOLIN + O2 (1). METHODS OF REACHING
EXTREME ALTITUDES.
• HERMAN OBERTH (1923) IN GERMABY-JOURNEY
INTO PLANETARY SPACE.
• VON BRAUN (1927) V2 OR A4 ROCKETS
• HYPERGOLIC WITH RFNA AS OXIDIZER HYBRID
PROPELLANTS
• HERMAN OBERTH IN GERMANY – C rod + O2 (1).
• HYPERGOLIC HYBRID ROCKET PROPELLANTS.
• HTPB GRAIN AND O2 (1).
 Oxidizers for composite propellants
Oxidizer Chem. Mole. Density Oxy. Remarks
Symbol Wt (Kg/m3) content
(wt%)
Ammonium NH4ClO4 117.49 1949 54.5 Low n, low cost,
perchlorate readily available
Potassium KClO4 138.55 2519 46.2 Low burning
perchlorate rate, medium
performance
Sodium NaClO4 122.44 2018 52.3 Hygroscopic,
perchlorate high
performance
Ammonium NH4NO3 80.0 1730 60.0 Smokeless,
nitrate medium
performance
Oxidizer Chem. Mole. Density Oxy. Remarks
Symbol Wt (Kg/m3) content
(wt%)

Potassium KNO3 101.10 2109 47.5 Low cost, low

nitrate performance

Nitronium NO2ClO4 145.5 2198 66.0 Very reactive,

perchlorate hygroscopic,
high
performance,
unstable

Lithium LiClO4 ---- ---- 60.2 Hygroscopic,

Perchlorate high
performance.
Crosslinkable Type of Polymeric Binders Used in
Composite Propellants
Property PBAA PBAN CTPB HTPB

Average mol. 2500-4000 3500 3500-5000 2500

Wt

Average 2.0 1.9 2.0 2.4

functionality

Viscosity 275 – 325 300-500 180-350 40-60

(poise)at
250C
 Property PBAA PBAN CTPB HTPB

Density 0.90-0.92 0.93 0.92 0.92

(g / cc)

Heat of 10.2-10.4 10.0 10.2 10.0

Combustion
(Kcal / g)
 CMCDB
TYPICAL COMPOSTION
AP = 20.4%
Al = 21.1%
NC = 21.9%
NG = 29.0%
TRIACETIN = 5.1%
STABILIZER = 2.5 (RESORCINOL DIACETATE)
 ADVANTAGES

• MAX Isp AT MUCH LOW SOLID CONTENT.

• Isp REMAINS CONSTANT FOR WIDE
RANGE OF SOLID CONTENT .
• HIGH DENSITY = 1.71 g / cc
• MECHANICAL STRENGTH CAN BE
INCREASED FURTHER BY CORSSLINKING
UN-NITRATED – OH GROUPS OF NC.
• REDUCED SMOKE.
 DISADVANTAGES

• LOW BURN RATES

• EXPLOSION HAZARD: at 5-6” DEPTH

BELOW THE SURFACE NC IGNITES.
IF DEPTH INCREASES TO 16 – 24”,
THE GRAIN MAY DETONATE.
LIQUID ROCKET

PROPELLANTS
LIQUID PROPELLANT ROCKET
ENGINE
 SPECIFICATIONS OF G-FUEL
NH2
C2H5
N C2H5
H3C CH3 C2H5
XYLIDENE = 50% TRIETHYL AMINE = 50%

• WATER = 02% MAX

• DENSITY AT 200C g/cc = 0.845
• MECHANICAL IMPURITIES = 0.003 (MAX)
 XLYLIDENES
MOL. WT. = 121.1
BOILING POINT = 2200C
FREEZING POINT = 200C
DENSITY = 0.98 g / cc
VAPOUR PRESSURE = NEGLIGIBLE

TRIETHYLAMINE
MOL WT = 101.19
COLOUR = COLOURLESS
ODOR = AMMONIACAL
B.P. = 89.50C
F.P. = -114.60C
DENSITY = 0.728 g / cc
VAPOUR PRESSURE AT 300C = 86.5 mm Hg.
AT 480C = 190.7 mm Hg.
 PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF LIQUID
PROPELANTS
Propellant Fr. Pt. B. Pt. Density
Oxidizer (0C) (0C) (g / cc)
Oxygen - 218.9 - 183 1.14 (at B.P.)
Fluorine - 218 - 188.3 1.53 (at B.P.)
Chlorine - 82.6 11.3 1.86 (at 9 0C)
Trifluoride
N2O4 - 11.2 21.1 1.45 (at 20 0C)

RFNA - 55 ---- 1.55 (at 25 0C)

(15%NO2)
 Propellant Fr. Pt. B. Pt. Density
FUELS (0C) (0C) (g / cc)
Hydrogen - 259 - 252 0.072 (at B.P.)
Hydrazine 1.69 113.6 1.0 (at 20 0C)
MMH - 52.4 87.5 0.87
UDMH - 57 63 0.791 (at 22 0C)
TEA - 114.8 89.5 0.723 (at 25 0C)
ANILINE - 5.9 184.4 1.02 (at 25 0C)

RP – 1 -44 to 176 to 0.8 to 0.82

17.5 260
Pentaborane–9 - 46.6 58.4 0.63 (at 16 0C)
THANK YOU!!!!!