A mitigation strategy for the thermal stability threshold of nitrocellulose with additives

Nitrocellulose is a widely used energetic material known for its high flammability and explosiveness. To enhance the thermal stability threshold of nitrocellulose during storage, three stabilizers were evaluated: N-methyl-4-nitroaniline (MNA), N,N'-dimethyl-N,N'-diphenylurea (C2), and Na ₂ CO ₃ . This study involved conducting Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) experiments on pure NC and NC/stabilizer (97:3 weight ratio) under both of non-isothermal and isothermal conditions. In non-isothermal tests, the results indicated that the stabilizers effectively reduced the onset temperature, peak temperature, reaction rate, and maximum heat flow during pyrolysis. Among the stabilizers, C2 demonstrated the most significant stabilizing effect. For the isothermal tests, thermal properties of all samples were examined at four temperatures, containing 150, 152, 154, and 156℃. The kinetic triplets of isothermal decomposition were determined using kinetic methods. The findings revealed that the three stabilizers did not alter the thermal decomposition reaction mechanism of nitrocellulose, but did increase the stability threshold during the decomposition process. Based on the calculations, the optimal form for the isothermal decomposition reaction of all samples was identified. This study provides valuable insights for developing strategies to enhance the thermal stability of nitrocellulose during storage and usage.