On the combustion mechanisms of ZrH2 in double-base propellantElectronic supplementary information (ESI) available. See DOI: 10.1039/c7cp02593a

• Main Authors: Yang, Yanjing, Zhao, Fengqi, Yuan, Zhifeng, Wang, Ying, An, Ting, Chen, Xueli, Xuan, Chunlei, Zhang, Jiankan
• Format: Journal Article
• Published: 13.12.2017
• ISSN: 1463-9076; 1463-9084
• DOI: 10.1039/c7cp02593a

Metal hydrides are regarded as a series of promising hydrogen-supplying fuel for solid rocket propellants. Their effects on the energetic and combustion performances of propellants are closely related to their reaction mechanisms. Here we report a first attempt to determine the reaction mechanism of ZrH 2 , a high-density metal hydride, in the combustion of a double-base propellant to evaluate its potential as a fuel. ZrH 2 is determined to possess good resistance to oxidation by nitrocellulose and nitroglycerine. Thus its combustion starts with dehydrogenation to generate H 2 and metallic Zr. Subsequently, the newly formed Zr and H 2 participate in the combustion and, especially, Zr melts and then combusts on the burning surface which favors the heat feedback to the propellant. This phenomenon is completely different from the combustion behavior of the traditional fuel Al, where the Al particles are ejected off the burning surface of the propellant to get into the luminous flame zone to burn. The findings in this work validate the potential of ZrH 2 as a hydrogen-supplying fuel for double-base propellants. ZrH 2 dehydrogenates in propellant combustion to generate H 2 and Zr, whose combustion occurs on the burning surface to enhance heat feedback.