Rheological properties and curing kinetics of GAP-based propellant slurries

Abstract

The rheological properties and isothermal curing kinetics of the GAP/AN/HMX propellant slurries were investigated by steady rheological measurements and isothermal rheological measurements, and subsequently, the rheological model and the curing kinetics equation of the slurries were constructed, respectively. The results indicate that the GAP/AN/HMX propellant slurries are Carreau–Yasuda fluids, and the apparent viscosity of the slurries gradually decreases with the increase in shear rate and temperature. The storage modulus and loss modulus of the slurries show an ''S'' growth with the curing reaction, and the higher temperature causes a significant reduction in the time required for complete curing of the slurries. The pot-lifes of the slurries at 55 °C, 60 °C and 65 °C are 52590 s, 19820 s, 18150 s, respectively, with a noticible decrease with increasing temperature. Furthermore, the curing reaction of the slurries is viewed as an autocatalytic reaction, and the corresponding curing degrees (αmax) at the maximum curing rate are 0.3481 (55 °C), 0.3536 (60 °C), and 0.4420 (65 °C), respectively.

Keywords

• GAP/AN/HMX
• Propellant slurries
• Rheological properties
• Curing kinetics