Research on Passivation Simulation of Plasticizer N-Butylnitroxyethylnitramine (BuNENA) in Hydroxy-Terminated Polyether (HTPE) Propellants

• Published in: Polymers Vol. 17; no. 9; p. 1147
• Main Authors: Guo, Zhiming, Rossi, Riccardo, Deng, Rui, Wu, Yuheng, Liu, Hanwen, Hao, Lin, Fu, Xiaolong
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 23.04.2025; MDPI
• Subjects: Bubbles; Composite propellants; Decomposition; Energy; High temperature; High vacuum; Mechanical properties; Nitrates; Nucleate boiling; Passivity; Plasticizers; Reynolds number; Sensitivity; Simulation; Solid propellants; BuNENA; HTPE propellants; passivation simulation; bubble
• ISSN: 2073-4360; 2073-4360
• DOI: 10.3390/polym17091147

N-butylnitroxyethylnitramine (BuNENA) is a high-energy plasticizer with high plasticizing ability, low sensitivity, and high energy. It has broad application prospects in HTPE propellants. Nevertheless, as an energetic plasticizer, it requires treatment to reduce its sensitivity. To this end, the passivation process for BuNENA was simulated using a mixing model analogous to nucleate boiling. This method involves tracking the formation and movement of bubbles using a Lagrange frame, and the bubbles themselves are modeled as rigid spheres subject to buoyancy and viscous forces. A variational multiscale (VMS)-based Euler framework was employed to simulate the fluid surrounding the bubble. The movement process of the bubbles was analyzed, and it was found that the amount of bubbles and the movement speed were higher at high temperatures and in a high vacuum, and the passivation effect on BuNENA was better. At a pressure of 40 mbar and a temperature of 50 °C, BuNENA demonstrated an 89% water removal rate. A comparison of the experimental results with the simulation results revealed slight discrepancies between them. A meticulous analysis of the passivation process for BuNENA is rendered possible by integrating experimental and simulation methodologies, a feat that has immense implications for the realm of composite solid propellant passivation.