The Mechanism of Filler Reinforcement from addition of neutral polymeric bonding agents to energetic polar propellants

It has been demonstrated that addition of small amounts of the newly developed neutral polymeric bonding agents (NPBA's) to energetic propellants such as HMX/PEG/NG composites causes strong filler reinforcement. The mechanism of this reinforcement occurs through interfacial effects, and not because of an overall increase in the crosslink density of the binder. It has been demonstrated directly that the NPBA's have a favorable relative affinity for HMX and concentrate at the solid surface during mixing. All the experimental evidence supports the theory that highly crosslinked polymeric shells form around the HMX particles and chemically bond to the binder matrix during the cure, thus causing an increase in the initial modulus. Furthermore, these shells appear to eliminate the weak, soft layers around the particles, and hence filler reinforcement persists up to much higher elongation than without addition of NPBA. Based on the filler reinforcement observed, the simple one-step procedure of incorporating our NPBA is almost as effective as the more costly process of precoating the particles.