A WIDE CHARACTERIZATION OF PARAFFIN-BASED FUELS MIXED WITH STYRENE-BASED THERMOPLASTIC POLYMERS FOR HYBRID PROPULSION

In the framework of a long-term research activity focused on the development of high-performance solid fuels for hybrid rockets, paraffin-based fuels were investigated and characterized using two different pure paraffinic waxes and a styrene-based thermoplastic elastomer as strengthening material. The fuels were studied using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermogravimetric analysis / differential thermal analysis (TGA-DTA). The viscosity of the melt layer, responsible for the entrainment effect, was investigated using a Couette viscosimeter. The storage modulus ( G ′) was analyzed using a parallel-plate rheometer. The chemical composition of the pure paraffinic materials was studied using gas chromatography / mass spectrometry (GC-MS), while mechanical properties were investigated through uniaxial tensile tests.