A comprehensive investigation of the impact of carbon-supported metal complexes of triaminoguanidine on the characteristics of a double-base propellant

In this study, triaminoguanidine complexes grafted onto activated carbon (AC-TAG-Fe and AC-TAG-Co) were designed and investigated for their catalytic effect on the thermolysis of a double base propellant consisting of nitrocellulose (NC) and diethylene glycol dinitrate (DEGDN). The successful synthesis of transition metal complexes with triaminoguanidine and their subsequent grafting onto activated carbon were confirmed using various analytical techniques, including Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy, Raman Spectroscopy, X-ray Diffraction, and Scanning Electron Microscopy. Thermal characterization using Thermogravimetric Analysis and Differential Scanning Calorimetry provided valuable insights into the thermal properties and reactivity of the elaborated NC/DEGDN-based composites. Importantly, the addition of various additives resulted in notable improvements in both the enthalpy of reaction and density. Isoconversional kinetic studies revealed that the incorporation of TAG-Fe and TAG-Co complexes reduced the apparent activation energy of the NC/DEGDN composite from 137.4 kJ/mol to 135.4 kJ/mol and 114.8 kJ/mol, respectively, suggesting their catalytic effect. Furthermore, it is found that the addition of activated carbon (AC) resulted in an increase in activation energy to 154 kJ/mol, whereas grafting TAG-Fe and TAG-Co complexes onto AC as a catalytic support subsequently reduced activation energy to 119 kJ/mol and 112 kJ/mol, respectively. Overall, this research serves as a valuable reference for future studies focusing on investigating the catalytic combustion characteristics of double-base solid propellants.