Thermal analysis of ammonium nitrate and basic copper(II) nitrate mixtures

Basic copper nitrate [Cu(NO3)(2)center dot 3Cu(OH)(2), BCN] is a widely used oxidizer for gas-generating compounds. The oxidizers that replace some BCN with ammonium nitrate (NH4NO3, AN) have been investigated to increase the performance of the gas-generating agents. The purpose of this study was to understand the thermal behavior and stability of AN/BCN mixtures. To this end, mixtures prepared by two kinds of methods, with and without heat treatment, were analyzed by X-ray powder diffraction to investigate composition of samples, and differential scanning calorimetry and thermogravimetry-differential thermal analysis with mass spectrometry (TG-DTA-MS) to investigate the thermal behavior and evolved gases. It was found that [Cu(NH3)(2)](NO3)(2) was formed in the sample with thermal treatment. The samples with and without heating exhibited different decomposition processes. It is considered that the residual AN and the amount of [Cu(NH3)(2)](NO3)(2) in the mixture affected the decomposition behavior.