Development of Propellant Compositions for Vat Photopolymerization Additive Manufacturing

A photocurable energetic resin was developed for photopolymerization additive manufacturing. The composition contains 50 wt % RDX, 25 wt % acrylate binder, and 25 wt % energetic plasticizer. The material was characterized in terms of compatibility, printability, mechanical properties and (ballistic) performance. The possibility of printing energetic items of increasing complexity was demonstrated through various print trials. The culmination of the research effort was the firing of a 30 mm gun setup with 3D-printed propellant.