Thermal decomposition properties of 1,2,4-triazole-3-one and guanidine nitrate mixtures

1,2,4-triazole-3-one (TO) and guanidine nitrate (GN) have the potential to be used as alternative gas-generating agents. To obtain a better understanding of thermal decomposition properties of TO/GN mixtures, sealed cell differential scanning calorimetry, thermogravimetry-differential thermal analysis-infrared spectroscopy (TG-DTA-IR), and thermogravimetry-differential thermal analysis-mass spectrometry (TG-DTA-MS) were carried out. The endothermic peak and onset temperatures of TO/GN mixtures were lower than those of individual TO and GN. TG-DTA-IR and TG-DTA-MS showed that the mass of TO/GN mixtures decreased with heat generation and N-2 evolved as the major gas during thermal decomposition. The interaction between TO and nitric acid from the dissociation of GN is proposed for the thermal decomposition of TO/GN mixtures.