Development of a high burn rate non - Aluminized composite propellant with low burn rate pressure index

Although increase in burn rates of AP was observed in literature due to doping of K+, it was never considered a candidate for burn rate enhancement as K+ was considered as an impurity in AP. This paper uses this knowledge to improve the burn rates of a composite solid propellant. Successive recrystallization of AP is used to increase the potassium content in AP. This paper also demonstrates the effective use of activated charcoal to reduce the burn rate pressure index, which increased due to the presence of recrystallized AP in a propellant. Addition of known burn rate modifiers like iron oxide and copper chromite to the propellant made from recrystallized AP is also done and it is seen that these burn rate modifiers acted in tandem with recrystallized AP to increase propellant burn rates. An effective way has been found to obtain high burn rates with low pressure index. © 2011 by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Inc. All rights reserved.