Motives for Decreasing the Curing Time of HTPB-AP Composite Propellants

Abstract

One of the standard conditions for solidifying composite propellants consist of hydroxyl terminated poly-butadiene as a binder and ammonium perchlorate as oxidizer, is the curing process for certain time in a certain temperature. On this paper, the motives and reasons for the decreasing of this curing time were studied and discussed. The study and discussion include the productivity, cost, delivery, manpower, and maintenance points of view. By experiments and questionnaire work, it was seen that, all the previous points of view were affected positively. Generally, the productivity of the propellant was increased by 100%, the cost of curing process was decreased by 25% of the previous cost, the man power needed for the process of waiting and recording the readings was decreased by 50%, customer delivery process was fasted by 50% of the previous delivery time, and finally the maintenance processes due to equipment depreciation were improved by 50% from the previous. From the whole point of view, it was seen that, the decreasing of the curing time is very useful for the production of the propellant. Finally, it is observed that the decreasing of the curing time to the half time brought the same properties of the standard curing time, and then it is concluded that the deceasing of the curing time can be applied safely and usefully in the casting production line.