Exploring the influence of metal oxides on the pyrolytic behavior and decomposition mechanism of the green gas generating agent 5-Aminotetrazole

5-Aminotetrazole (5AT) is widely used as a green gas-generating agent in fire extinguishers, but it exhibits low combustion stability. To enhance its combustion rate and modify gas production performance, this study investigated the catalytic effects of adding different metal oxides (Bi 2 O 3 , PbO, TiO 2 , and CoO) on its pyrolysis process and decomposition mechanism. The pyrolysis behavior and pyrolysis products of 5AT were studied by simultaneous thermal analyzer (thermogravimetry - differential thermal analysis, TG-DTA) and TG-FTIR/MS (mass spectrometry and fourier transform infrared spectroscopy) hyphenated instrument. Isoconversional methods were used to calculated kinetic parameters, and reaction mechanism was also speculated by combining the experimental and calculational results. The experimental results indicated that Bi 2 O 3 , PbO, TiO 2 and CoO have minimal impact on the ring opening reaction process of 5AT, but they catalyzed the polymer decomposition process of 5AT, especially CoO. Consequently, the addition of metal oxides as catalysts to 5AT holds significant potential for improving its thermal safety and enhancing its suitability as a solid propellant gas generator.