Comparative ballistic efficiency of solid composite propellants: which plasticizer/polymer combination is the energetically preferred binder?

The relative efficacy of real energetic plasticizers and polymers for model solid composite propellants comprising 25% aluminum hydride, 50% dinitramide ammonium salt and 25% binder (20% a plasticizer and 5% a polymer) has been estimated. The quantitative dependence of the efficiency of plasticizers on the value of their enthalpy of formation ΔH_t⁰, the oxygen coefficient α, percentage of hydrogen %H and density d has been revealed. 3,4-Dinitrofurazan tested as a plasticizer for the binder provides effective impulse values at the 3^rd stage up to ∼2 s higher than those for other plasticizers.