Thermal decomposition characteristics of expired single-based propellant using a lab-scale tube furnace and a thermo-gravimetric analysis reactor

摘要

The Republic of Korea has a plan to construct an incineration facility for expired propellant from munitions including 155, 105 mm, and 8 in. howitzer shells. It is important to understand thermal characteristics of the propellant before designing the incineration facility. In this study, the ingredients of a propellant sample were analyzed using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry, and the temporal mass loss of the sample was measured using thermo-gravimetric analysis in an argon atmosphere up to a temperature of 350 A degrees C at different heating rates of 10, 20, and 30 A degrees C min(-1). The mass of the sample started decreasing at a temperature of about 180 A degrees C and was fully decomposed when the temperature reached about 210 A degrees C. Using a first-order model to describe the reaction kinetics, we obtained a pre-exponential factor of 2.09 x 10(39) min(-1) and an activation energy of 335.77 kJ mol(-1) for the sample. In order to understand product gas compositions, another thermal decomposition experiment was carried out using a lab-scale tube furnace under an argon atmosphere up to a temperature of 350 A degrees C. Gas compositions were analyzed using gas chromatography and gas detecting tubes. Residual ash compounds were analyzed using X-ray fluorescence.