ESTIMATION OF MAJOR VOLATILE PRODUCTS FROM THE 1ST STAGE OF THE THERMAL-DECOMPOSITION OF HYDROXY-TERMINATED POLYBUTADIENE BINDER

The major volatile products from the first stage of the thermal decomposition of hydroxy-terminated polybutadiene (HTPB), a composite solid propellant binder, were investigated quantitatively by means of discontinuous simultaneous techniques of thermal analysis and gas chromatography (TA-GC). The variation in the amounts of these products under various temperatures of thermal decomposition and at various heating rates was compared. The experimental results show that the hydroxy group in HTPB does not have a distinct effect on its thermal decomposition; consequently, the mechanism of thermal decomposition of HTPB is similar to that of polybutadiene.