Stabilizers for nitrate ester-based energetic materials and their mechanism of action: a state-of-the-art review

Aliphatic nitrate esters are currently the most widely used energetic ingredients in single-, double-, and triple-base propellants. These nitrate esters are unstable at ambient conditions, and stabilizing agents should be incorporated into the energetic compositions to inhibit and slow down the decomposition reactions that can occur. However, the currently used stabilizers present a number of environmental and human health issues. To overcome these shortcomings, many stabilizers have been appeared in the past few decades and continue to be developed. Furthermore, several analytical techniques have been introduced to monitor the stability of nitrate ester-based energetic materials as well, since the existing ones could not be efficiently applied. Therefore, this review paper discusses and summarizes the current and emergent stabilizers as well as their mechanisms of action. A critical and analytical examination of their advantages and drawbacks is made.