High pressure thermal decomposition behavior and relation to burning rate of catalyzed nitrate propellant

The burning and high pressure thermal decomposition behavior of a typical nitrate propellant with and without catalysts was studied. Lead salt and copper salt moved up the thermal pyrolysis at 5 MPa, but carbon black did not. Lead salt and copper salt and carbon black increased this trend and also increased the reaction rate of nitrate propellants in temperature scope from 191.7 °C to 239.5 °C, and this is the reason of the burning rate increase. ΔH/ΔT had some relation to the burning rate. The higher the ΔH/ΔT, the higher the burning rate.