Nitrate ester functionalized ionic liquid as energetic plasticizer for HTPB propellant

Ze Su; Xiaolong Li; Youye Wang; Long Liu; Yanqiang Zhang; Jianguo Zhang; Zhimin Li

doi:10.1016/j.dt.2026.02.013

Nitrate ester functionalized ionic liquid as energetic plasticizer for HTPB propellant

Ze Su
, Xiaolong Li
, Youye Wang
, Long Liu^*
, Yanqiang Zhang
, Jianguo Zhang
, Zhimin Li^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

Beijing Institute of Technology
CAS - Institute of Process Engineering

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

Energetic plasticizers are rarely used in HTPB propellants due to compatibility issues; one strategy is usually adopted is to introduce energetic substituents. In this study, the synthesized high-energy ionic liquids were comprehensively characterized, and showed that they possess extremely low melting points (IL-3h, T_m = −70 °C), good thermal stability (ILs, T_p > 370 °C), and high densities (IL-3a, ρ = 1.637 g/cm3). The high-energy performance exhibited by high detonation velocity (D_v) and pressure (D_P) of ionic liquids (D_v: 6600–6800 m/s; D_p: 17–19 MPa) contributes to improved specific impulse in propellant formulations, which significantly surpasses that of conventional triethylene glycol dinitrate (TEGDN). Furthermore, HTPB elastomer cured with TDI were plasticized with ionic liquids, and the results of tensile and dynamic mechanical tests were showed that the HTPB elastomer plasticized with ionic liquids had a maximum tensile strength of 0.883 MPa and a maximum elongation at break of 539.2%, which were comparable to DOA (σ_t = 0.587 MPa, ε_t = 479.1%). This work provides an innovative approach for the design of energetic ionic liquid plasticizers in HTPB propellants.

Original language	English
Journal	Defence Technology
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dt.2026.02.013
Publication status	Accepted/In press - 2026
Externally published	Yes

Keywords

Energetic plasticizer
Ionic liquids
Nitrate
Plasticizing performance

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10.1016/j.dt.2026.02.013

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title = "Nitrate ester functionalized ionic liquid as energetic plasticizer for HTPB propellant",

abstract = "Energetic plasticizers are rarely used in HTPB propellants due to compatibility issues; one strategy is usually adopted is to introduce energetic substituents. In this study, the synthesized high-energy ionic liquids were comprehensively characterized, and showed that they possess extremely low melting points (IL-3h, Tm = −70 °C), good thermal stability (ILs, Tp > 370 °C), and high densities (IL-3a, ρ = 1.637 g/cm3). The high-energy performance exhibited by high detonation velocity (Dv) and pressure (DP) of ionic liquids (Dv: 6600–6800 m/s; Dp: 17–19 MPa) contributes to improved specific impulse in propellant formulations, which significantly surpasses that of conventional triethylene glycol dinitrate (TEGDN). Furthermore, HTPB elastomer cured with TDI were plasticized with ionic liquids, and the results of tensile and dynamic mechanical tests were showed that the HTPB elastomer plasticized with ionic liquids had a maximum tensile strength of 0.883 MPa and a maximum elongation at break of 539.2\%, which were comparable to DOA (σt = 0.587 MPa, εt = 479.1\%). This work provides an innovative approach for the design of energetic ionic liquid plasticizers in HTPB propellants.",

keywords = "Energetic plasticizer, Ionic liquids, Nitrate, Plasticizing performance",

author = "Ze Su and Xiaolong Li and Youye Wang and Long Liu and Yanqiang Zhang and Jianguo Zhang and Zhimin Li",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2026 China Ordnance Society. Publishing services by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of KeAi Communications Co. Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/",

year = "2026",

doi = "10.1016/j.dt.2026.02.013",

language = "English",

journal = "Defence Technology",

issn = "2096-3459",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - Nitrate ester functionalized ionic liquid as energetic plasticizer for HTPB propellant

AU - Su, Ze

AU - Li, Xiaolong

AU - Wang, Youye

AU - Liu, Long

AU - Zhang, Yanqiang

AU - Zhang, Jianguo

AU - Li, Zhimin

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2026 China Ordnance Society. Publishing services by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of KeAi Communications Co. Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/

PY - 2026

Y1 - 2026

N2 - Energetic plasticizers are rarely used in HTPB propellants due to compatibility issues; one strategy is usually adopted is to introduce energetic substituents. In this study, the synthesized high-energy ionic liquids were comprehensively characterized, and showed that they possess extremely low melting points (IL-3h, Tm = −70 °C), good thermal stability (ILs, Tp > 370 °C), and high densities (IL-3a, ρ = 1.637 g/cm3). The high-energy performance exhibited by high detonation velocity (Dv) and pressure (DP) of ionic liquids (Dv: 6600–6800 m/s; Dp: 17–19 MPa) contributes to improved specific impulse in propellant formulations, which significantly surpasses that of conventional triethylene glycol dinitrate (TEGDN). Furthermore, HTPB elastomer cured with TDI were plasticized with ionic liquids, and the results of tensile and dynamic mechanical tests were showed that the HTPB elastomer plasticized with ionic liquids had a maximum tensile strength of 0.883 MPa and a maximum elongation at break of 539.2%, which were comparable to DOA (σt = 0.587 MPa, εt = 479.1%). This work provides an innovative approach for the design of energetic ionic liquid plasticizers in HTPB propellants.

AB - Energetic plasticizers are rarely used in HTPB propellants due to compatibility issues; one strategy is usually adopted is to introduce energetic substituents. In this study, the synthesized high-energy ionic liquids were comprehensively characterized, and showed that they possess extremely low melting points (IL-3h, Tm = −70 °C), good thermal stability (ILs, Tp > 370 °C), and high densities (IL-3a, ρ = 1.637 g/cm3). The high-energy performance exhibited by high detonation velocity (Dv) and pressure (DP) of ionic liquids (Dv: 6600–6800 m/s; Dp: 17–19 MPa) contributes to improved specific impulse in propellant formulations, which significantly surpasses that of conventional triethylene glycol dinitrate (TEGDN). Furthermore, HTPB elastomer cured with TDI were plasticized with ionic liquids, and the results of tensile and dynamic mechanical tests were showed that the HTPB elastomer plasticized with ionic liquids had a maximum tensile strength of 0.883 MPa and a maximum elongation at break of 539.2%, which were comparable to DOA (σt = 0.587 MPa, εt = 479.1%). This work provides an innovative approach for the design of energetic ionic liquid plasticizers in HTPB propellants.

KW - Energetic plasticizer

KW - Ionic liquids

KW - Nitrate

KW - Plasticizing performance

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105034847956

U2 - 10.1016/j.dt.2026.02.013

DO - 10.1016/j.dt.2026.02.013

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:105034847956

SN - 2096-3459

JO - Defence Technology

JF - Defence Technology

ER -

Nitrate ester functionalized ionic liquid as energetic plasticizer for HTPB propellant

Abstract

Keywords

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