An experimental study on the effects of ethanol content on the decomposition and burning risks of nitrocellulose

Ethanol is often used as a humectant during the storage of nitrocellulose (NC). To mitigate the fire hazard of NC, which is a highly flammable compound, during storage, and to understand the fire hazards of NC–ethanol mixtures, it is imperative to study the thermal behavior of NC–ethanol mixtures and determine the optimal range of ethanol content in the mixture. In this study, the decomposition and burning behaviors of NC–ethanol mixtures with different ethanol contents (0–100%) were studied via thermogravimetric (TG) analysis and cone calorimetry (ISO 5660), respectively. The results of TG/differential TG analyses suggested that NC samples with a low ethanol content are more prone to thermal runaway such as burning or explosion during their decomposition under a constant temperature increase. Furthermore, ignition and burning characteristics of the mixtures, which were analyzed by cone calorimetry, revealed that the ignition of the sample is mainly caused by the volatilization of ethanol. According to the results, an ethanol content of ~ 30–50% helps reduce the thermal hazard of NC during fire. This study provides a perspective on ensuring the safe storage of NC, and elucidates effective fire suppression and rescue measures for fires caused by such materials. Graphic abstract