A Study on the Combustion Characteristics of 3D-Printed Nylon Solid Rocket Motor

In order to meet the requirements of reliable and compact microsatellite thrusters, the feasibility of nylon-based solid rocket motors based on 3D printing was studied. Considering that the nozzle will be ablated by high-temperature gas, two motors are designed. One design is that the nozzle is manufactured by mechanical processing, the material is 304 austenitic stainless steel, and, the motor's shell is manufactured by 3D printing, the material is PA12; the metal nozzle is connected with the shell by threaded connection. Another design is that the entire motor is manufactured using 3D printing, and its material is PA12. By comparing the results of ignition phenomenon, stability, ignition delay, and throat ablation in the ignition experiment of two motors, the advantages and disadvantages of the two motor designs are analyzed. The ignition experiment shows that the nylon-based motor bears a pressure of 11.70 MPa, but the throat ablation is serious, while a motor with a metal nozzle can bear a pressure of 13.33 MPa without ablation. They have produced 2.56 and 2.59 N s of total impulse and 1785 and 1806 m/s of specific impulse, respectively.