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ISSN Druckformat: 2150-766X
ISSN Online: 2150-7678
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BALLISTIC AND MICROSTRUCTURAL PROPERTIES OF A HIGHLY FILLED GUN PROPELLANT WITH VARYING THICKNESSES OF INERT SURFACE COATING
ABSTRAKT
A highly filled multiperforated gun propellant containing predominately RDX was spray coated on its surface with cellulose acetate butyrate (CAB). The coating thickness was either 1 or 2.4% by weight. The purpose of the coating was to lower the initial maximum peak pressure and impart a progressive burn rate to the gun propellant grains. The coated and uncoated propellant grains were combusted in a closed bomb. Pressure-time combustion curves were obtained. The homogeneity and thickness of the coatings were measured from photomicrographs and x-ray maps obtained using a differentially pumped scanning electron microscope (WET-SEM) equipped with a light element energy dispersive x-ray detector (EDS). The SEM and closed bomb results showed that the initial pressure-time ballistic traces could be lowered and retarded as a function of coating thickness.