US EPA

8158734 

Journal Article 

Recent advances in development of eco-friendly solid composite propellants for rocket propulsion 

Mahanta Abhay, K; Pathak Devendra, D 

2010 

1 

Research Journal of Chemistry and Environment
ISSN: 0972-0626 

14 

3 

94-103 

English 

Significant advances have been made during the last decade in the field of solid composite propulsion. With the growing demand for environmental friendly chlorine free propellants, many attempts have been made to investigate a variety of oxidizers, which produce innocuous combustion products. This paper discusses various methods used to develop solid propellants that are environmentally benign than the current ammonium perchlorate-based propellant systems owing to reduction of the hydrochloric acid gas emissions in the motor exhaust. These methods include acid neutralization, acid scavenging, partial substitution of AP with other oxidizers and chlorine free propellants. An assessment of the acid reducing potential and the viability of each of these methods are elaborated based on current literature. Efforts have been made to cover the recent developments taken place in developing the ecofriendly solid composite propellants with special emphasis on the use of new energetic oxidizers i.e. ammonium dinitramide (ADN) and hydrazinium nitroformate (HNF) in propellant composition. 

Clean burning propellants; Composite solid propellants; Eco-friendly; Energetic oxidizers