Effect of polyol bonding agent on the mechanical properties of hydroxyl-terminated block copolyether based composite propellant with low aluminum content

A polyol bonding agent (BA) was utilized to enhance the mechanical properties of propellant with low aluminum content. Through scanning electron microscope (SEM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis, it was discovered that BA can physically bond to the surfaces of ammonium perchlorate (AP) and hexogen (RDX). The results of mechanical testing showed that the use of BA can significantly improve the mechanical properties of propellants. Specifically, as the amount of BA increases, the maximum tensile strength ( σ m ) of the propellant also increases, the fracture elongation ( ε b ) initially increases and then decreases, the “dewetting ratio” continuously decreases, and the creep resistance of the propellant also increases. At a BA content of 0.2%, the σ m of the propellant reaches 0.6 MPa, the ε b exceeds 50%, and the “dewetting ratio” is less than 1.1.