A new method for direct measurement of the pressure increase in energetic compositions (propellants, powders, and explosives) upon thermal decay of energetic samples is described. This method is applicable to the control of the decay kinetics of elastic compositions during long-time storage. The testing of this method showed that the error in measuring the pressure increase in the systems under study during long-time storage at a constant temperature and the maximum filling of the reaction container did not exceed 4%.

Исследовано горение твердотопливных образцов, содержащих цирконий или его гидрид, октоген и активное связующее. При изменении размера частиц циркония установлено, что скорость горения состава при давлении 40 атм значительно зависит от размера частиц циркония – при переходе от порошков циркония с размером частиц 30–70 мкм к порошкам с размером частиц ниже 30 мкм скорость горения возрастает почти в 2 раза. Предложена методика определения полноты сгорания циркония в составах методом дожигания конденсированного продукта сгорания.

The combustion solid-fuel samples containing zirconium or zirconium hydride, octogen (HMX), and an active binding agent was studied. On varying the particle size of zirconium, it was found that the rate of combustion of a composition at a pressure of 40 atm essentially depended on the particle size of zirconium: the rate of combustion increased by a factor of almost 2 on going from zirconium powders with a size of 30–70 μm to the powders with particle sizes smaller than 30 μm. A procedure for the determination of the combustion efficiency of zirconium by the afterburning of a condensed combustion product was proposed.

The features of combustion of model compositions of a composite solid rocket propellant containing zirconium at a concentration of up to 40 wt % are investigated. Burning rates at pressures of from 20 to 80 atm and the parameters of the combustion law are measured. Comparison with combustion of similar aluminum-based compositions is carried out. Compositions with compound (zirconium along with aluminum in various proportions) metal fuels are investigated. The application of zirconium as a metal fuel is shown to substantially increase the burning rate in comparison with compositions based on aluminum.

The investigation considers phase stabilization of ammonium nitrate for considerable extension of its application area including new generation of gas-generating compositions for airbag inflators. It was shown that alloys of ammonium nitrate with small amounts (2-10%) of some organic compounds can have no phase transitions or at least have only one instead of three ones in initial ammonium nitrate. The mostly effective as stabilizers are the compounds that have rather close crystallographic parameters. A strong donor-acceptor interaction between nitrate-anion and organic molecules are found. Using quantum-chemical calculations, X-ray analysis, X-ray phase analysis, UVand IR-spectroscopy it was found a new ammonium nitrate phase state in its alloy with some organic additives. This state is stable in temperature range between -50 and +100 °C.

Three modifier compounds that stabilize the phase state of ammonium nitrate over a wide range of temperatures, 1,3,5-trihydroxyisocyanuric acid dihydrate (1), 4-aminouracil (2), and 4-aminouracil monohydrate (3) were studied by X-ray diffraction. Strong donor-acceptor intermolecular interactions were found for structures 2 and 3. The electronic parameters of the molecules were calculated by quantum-chemical methods, and it was found that additional intermolecular interactions were possible.

Methods for phase stabilization of ammonium nitrate were sought for to substantially extend the application fields of this oxidizing agent in self-combustible formulations for various purposes, including the new generation of gas-generating formulations for automobile safety bags. The phase state of ammonium nitrate alloys with minor additions of organic substances with crystallographic parameters close to those of ammonium nitrate was studied.

Methods for phase stabilization of ammonium nitrate were sought for in order to considerably expand the application area of this oxidizing agent in various-purpose self-combustible formulations, including that in a new generation of gas-generating formulations for automobile air bags. New methods for stabilization of ammonium nitrate were studied and, in particular, a search was made for organic compounds that can stabilize ammonium nitrate even at their low content. The mechanism of phase state stabilization of ammonium nitrate by compounds of this kind was examined.