Insight into the stability and thermal decomposition behavior of nitrocellulose supplemented with different types of zeolites

Nitrocellulose is commonly used as a main ingredient in propellant formulations, but its thermal instability necessitates the employment of stabilizers as additives. In this study, the potential of four adsorbents, namely, zeolites MOR, BEA, MFI, and FAU as stabilizing agents for nitrocellulose was evaluated. Their performance was compared to that of the traditional stabilizer, DPA. The thermal stability of nitrocellulose (NC) that contains each stabilizer was assessed through VST, B & J test, and TGA analysis. The compatibility of NC with each stabilizer was also scrutinized using FTIR, heat of combustion, and DSC. The computation of the kinetic parameters for NC that contains each stabilizer was carried out using non-isothermal DSC experiments. The obtained results demonstrated that the different zeolites exhibited promising stabilizing efficiency toward NC. The zeolites revealed good compatibility with NC as well, as confirmed by FTIR and DSC analyses. This work contributes to the ongoing efforts to develop environmentally friendly stabilizers for NC.