TO DATE, PREPARATION OF ENERGETIC POLYMERS HAS EMPHASIZED DOUBLE BASE PROPELLANTS, CURED PROPELLANTS, OR POLYMERIZATION OF ENERGETIC MONOMERS.

TO DATE, PREPARATION OF ENERGETIC POLYMERS HAS EMPHASIZED DOUBLE BASE PROPELLANTS, CURED PROPELLANTS, OR POLYMERIZATION OF ENERGETIC MONOMERS. THESE ROUTES OFTEN PRODUCE A RELATIVELY LOW ENERGY DENSITY PROPELLANT, MARGINAL MECHANICAL PROPERTIES, OR COMPLEX AND COSTLY SYNTHESIS TECHNIQUES. IN THIS PROGRAM, KSE WILL UTILIZE NITRATION CHEMISTRY PREVIOUSLY DEVELOPED TO IMPROVE THE COMBUSTION QUALITY OF CERTAIN PETROLEUM FUELS, WHEREIN SELECTIVITY CAN BE CONTROLLED IN A SIMPLE ONE-STEP REACTION PROCESS. THIS TECHNOLOGY WILL BE COMBINED WITH ALLIED WORK IN SYNTHESIS OF ENERGETICPOLYMERS AT THE POLYMER SCIENCE DEPARTMENT OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS. THE OBJECTIVE IS TO EXPLORE THE FEASIBILITY OF USE OF A ONE-STEP PROCESS TO CONVERT COMMERCIALLY AVAILABLE POLYMERS DIRECTLY INTO THE DESIRED ENERGETIC POLYMERS. POLYMERS SUCH AS POLYBUTADIENE WILL BE ENERGIZED BY REACTION. SEVERAL POLYMERS WILL BE INVESTIGATED AT A VARIETY OF REACTION CONDITIONS. INFRARED, RAMA, AND NMR SPECTROSCOPY WILL BE USED TO INVESTIGATE POLYMER STABILITY. THE FEASIBILITY OF THE PROCESS TO PRODUCE POLYMERS WITH THE DESIRED FUNCTIONAL GROUPS AND WITH SUPERIOR MECHANICAL PROPERTIES WILL THUS BE ASSESSED.