New Insights on the Compatibility of Nitrocellulose with Aniline-Based Compounds

In this paper, the compatibility of nitrocellulose (NC) with some aniline-based stabilizers was studied in order to detect any interaction between these materials. Both thermal techniques [differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and vacuum stability test (VST)], and supplementary non-thermal techniques [Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and densimetry] were used. The thermal and non-thermal measurements showed that NC was highly compatible with N-(2-methoxyethyl)-p-nitroaniline (MENA) and diphenylamine (DPA), while a degree of incompatibility is indicated for N-(2-acetoxymethyl)-p-nitroaniline (ANA). The compatibility of the different mixtures was further probed by the kinetic investigation, and the activation energy and the pre-exponential factors were computed. A detailed discussion and comparison of the compatibility results from all the methods are made.