Nanocomposite Metal-Based Ingredients for Use as Solid Propellant Burn Rate Modifiers

It is proposed use Arrested Reactive Milling (ARM), a “top-down” synthesis approach to produce energetic nanomaterials optimized to serve as burn rate modifiers for solid propellants. Boron-based B-Ti and B-Zr nanocomposites will be evaluated as candidate materials for the Phase I work, while other boron and aluminum based compositions will be addressed later. Such nanocomposite powders are expected to boost ignition rates and eliminate agglomeration of unignited aluminum particles in aluminized propellants. They will also increase the bulk burn rate of the metal fuels by modifying the temperature profile in the solid rocket motor. The overall result will be a 10% or greater increase in the experimental specific impulse. Proposed research will demonstrate the feasibility of this concept by evaluating the effect of burn rate modifier additives on agglomeration and burn rate of aluminum powders with and without the propellant binders. Compatibility of the nanocomposite burn rate modifier materials with different propellant binders will also be addressed. Finally, electrostatic discharge sensitivity of new materials will be quantified.