On the replacement of traditional stabilizers by guaiacol in environmentally safe nitrocellulose-based propellants

• Published in: Clean technologies and environmental policy Vol. 24; no. 6; pp. 1837 - 1849
• Main Authors: Rodrigues, Rodrigo L. B., da Silva, Ana Paula, Rosato, Rogério, Lemos, Maurício F., Peixoto, Fernando C., França, Tanos C. C., Filho, Letivan G. Mendonça
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer Berlin Heidelberg 01.08.2022; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Acceptance; Aging; Aging (artificial); Aging (natural); Ammunition; Calorimetry; Cellulose esters; Cellulose nitrate; Chromatography; Computer applications; Decomposition; Differential scanning calorimetry; Earth and Environmental Science; Environment; Environmental Economics; Environmental Engineering/Biotechnology; Environmental policy; Flow stability; Guaiacol; Heat; Heat flow; Heat measurement; Heat transfer; Heat transmission; High performance liquid chromatography; Homogeneity; Hydrocarbons; Industrial and Production Engineering; Industrial Chemistry/Chemical Engineering; Liquid chromatography; Natural products; Original Paper; Parameter estimation; Phenols; Propellants; Scanning electron microscopy; Stability; Stability analysis; Stability criteria; Stability tests; Storage; Sustainable Development; Thermogravimetric analysis; Thermogravimetry; Titration; Guaiacol; Stabilizer; Green propellant; Energetic materials
• ISSN: 1618-954X; 1618-9558
• DOI: 10.1007/s10098-022-02291-4

In this work we investigated the possibility of substituting diphenylamine (DPA) by the natural product 2-methoxy phenol, known as guaiacol (CAS 90-05-1), as a stabilizer for nitrocellulose (NC)-based propellants. Stability evaluation, using heat flow calorimetry, revealed lower heat flows associated with our guaiacol-stabilized propellant samples when compared to those of propellants stabilized with the traditional stabilizers. Also, pressure vacuum stability tests showed that our propellant exhibited lower evolved gas volumes. Traditional tests, such as the German Test, and the Bergmann-Junk Test, scored a NO volume, after titration, of 0.87 ml (below the limit-value for acceptance, which is 2.0 ml), and the Storage Test, showed that our samples are stable and do not degrade until 3 days when submitted to a constant temperature of 100 °C. The homogeneity, stability and compatibility of our samples were evaluated through scanning electron microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, and isothermal thermogravimetry. Ballistic parameters were estimated using a closed vessel along with computational codes developed by our research group, for comparison purposes. Finally, the high-performance liquid chromatography method allowed inferring the stabilizer consumption after artificial ageing of samples. This method also showed that the material met the corresponding stability criteria of AOP-48. Concluding, our results clearly indicate that guaiacol is an effective and efficient substitute for DPA as a propellant stabilizer for single-base NC-based propellants, making them more environmentally friendly. Graphical abstract