High Pressure Stand Burn Rate Tests of Polyvinylnitrate/Nitramine Propellants.

Abstract : One approach to solving the problem of the erratic burning behavior, i.e., slope break, of nitramine gun propellants is to complex the nitramine propellant with polyvinylnitrate (PVN) binder material, i.e., hydrogen bond the RDX or HMX with the unesterified hydroxyl groups in the binder. The objective of the current effort was to conduct independent high pressure strand burn rate tests of this new class of PVN/nitramine propellant, as distinct from high pressure closed bomb burn rate tests. Comparisons of strand burn rate data of solution processed PVN/nitramine complexed formulations with conventionally processed control formulations have been conducted. Also, comparisons of strand burn rate data and closed bomb burn rate data have been conducted.