Facile preparation of Co3O4 microspheres and their utilization in the pyrolysis of ammonium perchlorate

In this study, Co3O4 microspheres, with diameters of 1.0-2.5 mu m were prepared by a facile additive-free solvothermal method in combination with a post-annealing treatment. The catalytic properties of the as-prepared microspherical Co3O4 on the pyrolysis of ammonium perchlorate (AP) were explored using the differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) method. The experimental results showed that Co3O4 microspheres played an important role in accelerating the AP pyrolysis. The pyrolysis temperature decreased by 111 degrees C and the activation energy of AP pyrolysis reduced from 280.5 +/- 11.8 kJ mol(-1) to 121.9 +/- 2.87 kJ mol(-1), when 2 wt.% of Co3O4 microspheres were added. Moreover, the introduction of Co3O4 microspheres led to a 2.76-fold increase in the exothermic heat during AP pyrolysis. This study reveals that Co(3)O(4 )microspheres can be served as a potential catalyst for the AP pyrolysis.