Influences of Particle Properties of Oxidizers on Burning Rate Characteristics of Composite Propellants

Composite propellant is fuel for solid rocket and consists of a large amount of powdered oxidizer held together in a matrix of binder. Various kinds of oxidizers have been used for propellant ingredients to manufacture the propellants with wide burning rate range for various applications. Now, ammonium perchlorate has been widely used as an oxidizer and many reports on the burning characteristics of the AP-based propellant (AP) have been published to date. Recently the burning characteristics of the propellants prepared with ammonium nitrate and nitramine have been investigated. This review gives the influences of particle properties of these oxidizers on the burning rate characteristics of composite propellants.