DEVICE FOR MEASURING THE DECOMPOSITION SHEAR RATE OF HIGHLY SOLIDS FILLED ENERGETIC MATERIALS

A NOVEL VISCOMETER DESIGN WHICH HAS THE CAPABILITY TO PROVIDE A DIRECT READING OF ON-SET OF CRITICAL SHEAR RATES AT WHICH HIGHLY FILLED MATERIALS START TO DECOMPOSE IS DISCUSSED. A DEVICE SIMILARY TO ONE PROPOSED IN THIS PROGRAM HAS ALREADY BEEN BUILT AND EFFECTIVELY USED AT OIL COMPANIES. THE CRITICAL SHEAR RATE IS DETERMINED BY MEASURING TOTAL STRESSES (DYNAMIC & PRESSURE) OF THE MATERIAL FLOWING AT CONSTANT FLOWRATE BUT AT DIFFERENT SHEAR RATES ACROSS THE DEVICE (SECTIONS), WHILE RETAINING DEFORMATION HISTORY AND ITS ASSOCIATED RHEOLOGICAL PARAMETERS SIMULTANEOUSLY WITHOUT INTERUPTION OF THE FLOW. THE PROPOSED SYSTEM IS SIMPLE AND HAS WELL DEFINED MATHEMATICS (FLOW EQUATIONS, STRESS/RATE RELATIONSHIPS, ETC.) WITHOUT ANY ASSUMPTION SUCH AS ENTRANCE EFFECTS. THE DEVICE CAN BE USED AS AN IN-LINE RHEOMETER/QUALITY CONTROL TOOL BY CONNECTING IT TO THE EXTRUDER DIE BLOCK (WITHOUT INTERRUPTION OF THE PRODUCT) OR AS A LAB INSTRUMENT. IT HAS NO MOVING OR ROTATING PARTS AND IS CONSIDERED TO BE VERY SAFE IN AN EXTRUSION LINE (EXPLOSIVE DOUGHS) EXPECIALLY FOR CLEANING LEFT OVER DOUGH WITHIN THE DEVICE. WITH PROPER INSTRUMENTATION, THE PROPOSED SYSTEM HAS THE CAPABILITY TO MEASURE AND/OR PREDICT SOME VISCOELASTIC PROPERTIES (IF ANY) INCLUDING RELAXATION TIME, AND NORMAL STRESSES IN ADDITION TO DETERMINING THE CONVENTIONAL RHEOLOGICAL PROPERTIES IN SHEAR.