Method for Effective Increasing the Decomposition Rate of Ammonium Perchlorate in Solid Rocket Fuel

Abstract

Ammonium perchlorate (AP) is a common oxidizer in solid rocket propellants. For devices, the most im- portant parameter of which is the speed of movement, the key correlation is between the jet thrust and the combustion rate of fuels and, consequently, the rate of thermal decomposition of the AP. To increase the de- composition rate of AP, fuel, aluminum powder, is used in the form of nanoparticles. The aim of this work is to identify the decomposition mechanism of AP molecules under conditions where aluminum nanoparticles, in addition to acting as a fuel, also act as catalysts for the decomposition of AP. The result of spraying alumi- num nanoparticles into multiple nanoclusters in the fuel combustion zone due to the melting of nanoparticle cores and the destruction of aluminum oxide shells is considered. In this case, aluminum nanoclusters become sources of terahertz (THz) radiation. Since the frequencies of vibrational and rotational oscillations in AP molecules are in the THz range, irradiation of AP molecules with THz photons promotes their decomposition. It is proposed to use emission of THz photons by aluminum nanoclusters, increasing its intensity by introduc- ing 3d impurities into aluminum, which increase the density of electron states near the Fermi level of alumi- num.