New insensitive high-energy dense biopolymers from giant reed cellulosic fibers: their synthesis, characterization, and non-isothermal decomposition kinetics

The aim of this research was the valorization of giant reed as an alternative bioresource material to produce new promising energetic biopolymers based on carbamated and nitrated ordinary cellulose and microcrystalline cellulose (COCN and CMCCN). The physicochemical features, chemical structures, crystallinity indexes and the thermal behavior of the obtained materials were determined and compared to those of the nitrated cellulose and cellulose microcrystals (OCN and MCCN) prepared from the same plant. Experimental findings proved the successful surface modification approach followed to produce the insensitive energetic COCN and CMCCN with excellent features such as nitrogen contents of 14.71% and 16.12%, and densities of 1.692 g cm(-3) and 1.710 g cm(-3), respectively, which are better than those of unmodified biopolymer nitrates. In addition, a kinetic study performed by isoconversional integral methods based on non-isothermal DSC data showed that the newly designed energetic COCN and CMCCN present good thermal stability with slightly lower Arrhenius parameters than the common OCN. This work provides a suitable pathway to develop new insensitive high-energy dense biopolymers from a prominent alternative giant reed bioresource for potential application in advanced energetic formulations.

Automated summary

This research successfully utilized giant reed to produce promising new energetic biopolymers COCN and CMCCN, which outperformed traditional biopolymer nitrates. Kinetic studies showed that these materials exhibit good thermal stability and high density.