Development rheological and thermal properties of a novel propellant RDX/TEGDN/NBC

To meet the high energy and high strength requirements of advanced propellants, a novel propellant RDX/TEGDN/NBC was designed by hexogen that was also called RDX and triethylene glycol dinitrate/nitrated bacterial cellulose (TEGDN/NBC) composite. The basic properties such as structure, morphology and thermal properties were characterized by fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM) and simultaneous thermal analysis (TG-DSC). The rheological properties were measured by rheometer and the effects of RDX content were studied by steady flow and dynamic test in detail. The results showed the added RDX of RDX/TEGDN/NBC composites solutions could destroy the stable structure of the system. Under the external force, RDX/TEGDN/NBC composite solution exhibit a better fluidity compared with TEGDN/NBC composite solution. And with the RDX increase, the viscosities of the solution systems decreased first and then increased, reached their minmum values when the RDX content was 15 wt%.