Temperature Combustion Profiles of KNO₃, CsNO₃, and NaNO₃-Based Energetic Materials at Atmospheric Pressure
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.55749/ijcs.v4i2.74Keywords:
Combustion, CsNO₃-based sample, KNO₃-based sample, NaNO₃-based sample, Temperature profileAbstract
This study investigated the thermal properties of energetic materials composed of alkaline metal nitrates, specifically KNO3, CsNO3, and NaNO3, at atmospheric pressure. This study primarily evaluated the burning surface temperature and characterized the heat release behavior of the studied compositions during combustion. To determine the thermal output, temperature profiles were obtained using thermocouple wires on the combustion surface. Given the heterogeneous structure of these formulations and the reactivity of alkali metals during combustion, finding a consistent temperature signatures presented an analytical challenge. All the tested samples exhibited very high surface combustion temperatures. The KNO3-based sample exhibited a higher maximum heat-flow density than the NaNO3-based formulation. Variations in the temperature profiles resulted from the differences in composition structure and combustion reactivity. This study showed the effect of nitrate type on the thermal performance of energetic materials. These results clarified the influence of nitrate identity on heat transfer and combustion efficiency in nitrate-based pyrotechnic formulations, and may inform the design of thermally stable, high-performance propellants and thermal generator formulations.
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