Nitrocellulose-Based
Propellants
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Nitrocellulose-Based
Propellants
Propellant formulations combine a primary fuel and oxidizer with additives—such as plasticizers, stabilizers, burn-rate modifiers, and binders—to control performance and safety. These mixtures serve in small-arms and artillery ammunition, rocket motors, and civilian propellant applications, where additives act as stabilizers, ballistic modifiers, and plasticizers, and binders help form the solid matrix of the propellant.
Common applications include:
Small-caliber gunpowder
Single, double and triple-based ammunition propellants
Double-based rocket propellants
Nitrocellulose
Nitrocellulose is the commercial term for cellulose nitrate, the nitric ester of cellulose. It is obtained by esterification of cellulose and nitric acid.
Propellant Stabilizers for NC-Based Propellants
NC-based propellants are naturally unstable and gradually break down. They lose nitrogen oxides, and those released gases react with and damage the NC molecules, causing degradation.
To prevent NC degradation, stabilizers with a higher affinity for nitrogen oxides are incorporated; these stabilizers absorb the oxides before they can attack the nitrocellulose.
Stabilizer
Type
Specifiation
Nitrocellulose-Based Propellant Additives
Additive
Function
Specification
Ballistic Modifiers
Small additions of lead compounds to double-base rocket propellants result in an increased burn rate under low-pressure conditions.
Lead salts cause the burning rate to remain steady regardless of pressure or ignition temperature. A strong burn-rate/pressure relationship is beneficial because it enables lighter rocket motors through lower safety requirements.
Chemical Name
Specification
