Investigation of acoustic characterization of ultrasonic air coupling testing of NEPE propellant under strain control

To explore the acoustic characterization of composite solid propellant materials, the wave equation of the viscoelastic body was derived based on the linear viscoelastic constitutive model, and the theoretical relationship between ultrasonic sound velocity and attenuation coefficient, which are closely related to mechanical properties, such as elastic modulus, viscosity coefficient, and complex modulus, was obtained. Ultrasonic air-coupled testing experiments of the NEPE (Nitrate Ester Plasticized Polyether) propellant under different tensile strain states were carried out to obtain the variation law of ultrasonic transmission wave peak amplitude, sound velocity, and attenuation coefficient with strain variables in combination with the variation in propellant porosity under tensile strain. Furthermore, the acoustic parameters with strain and porosity were fitted by the regression equation, and the effect of mesoscopic damage on macroscopic mechanical properties was analyzed. The results show that with the increase in NEPE propellant tensile strain, the porosity increases exponentially. With the increase in porosity, the sound velocity decreases by first polynomials, the wave amplitude decreases by second polynomials, and the attenuation coefficient increases by third polynomials.