Nanoscale additives tailor energetic materials

The effect of anatase, rutile, and amorphous TiO2 nanoparticles on the combustion of solid rocket propellant was investigated. Each additive increased the burning rate of propellant strands by 30%. Typical fast-burning propellants are unstable due to oversensitivity to pressure variations, but the anatase additive yielded propellants with high yet stable burning rates over a broad pressure range. Anatase nanoparticles also catalyzed the high-temperature decomposition of ammonium perchlorate, a key component of solid propellant.