Combustion Product Evaluation of Various Charge Sizes and Propellant Formulations. Task 1 Report: Sampling and Analytical Procedures Proposed for Use in Gun Propellant Combustion Product Characterization.

摘要

A primary object of the program is to relate the amount of combustion products formed to the unit mass of propellant burned. To do this, it will be necessary to relate the amount of material sampled and analyzed to the amount of CO, Carbon dioxide, and Hydrogen in that sample. The relative amounts of these three gases will be determined to establish the temperature at which equilibrium is frozen in the combustion products gases through thermodynamic equilibrium computer calculations on the combustion product composition for the specific propellant formulation used. An additional benefit of the proposed analytical scheme is that the amounts of all chemical species formed in the combustion products can be directly related to the amount of CO,CO2 or H2 present in the breech gas. Carbon monoxide concentrations are often monitored routinely when assessing health problems associated with weapon systems. Such data,when coupled with the chemical analyses derived in the program, will allow assessments to be made of likely operating personnel exposures to a large number of trace species. Analyses will be made for the following chemical species that may be present in propellant combustion gases: Gaseous aldehydes; Polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons, Gas phase trace organics including mono and diaomatics. Inorganic gases and metals (particulates). Combustion gases will be sampled from the gun barrel, via the gun breech, and from spent casings. (AW)