Nitrogen-rich Compounds: Opportunities and Challenges for Novel Gun Propellants(Abstract)

摘要

As a result of their known ability to significantly decrease the flame temperature of propellants without affecting the burning rate characteristics, nitrogen-rich compounds have received a lot of attention during the last decade. Several new products have been synthesized with a nitrogen content above 80 %, such as tetrazole derivatives. The large positive heat of formation of these products make them suitable candidates for partial replacement of nitramines as energetic materials in high explosives as well as fuels in propellant charges. While performance remains the key criterion against what these products are evaluated, their industrial use and eventual incorporation in commercialized formulations for military applications also required other characteristics such as thermal stability, a suitable large scale synthesis process and low sensitivity. Their effect on the environment and overall lifecycle assessment is also not to be neglected.