Properties of gas-generating mixtures related to different fuel and oxidizer compositions

This work focuses on solid energetic materials designed to produce high-pressure gas for pressurizing or inflating devices. In small gas generators sodium azide is often used. Unfortunately, this chemical exhibits drawbacks concerning toxicity and yield of gas. Other classical gas-generating agents are double base propellants. However, they deliver toxic and reactive gases and their combustion temperatures are high. In previous work a series of alternative gas-generating compositions have been proposed, fuelled with double base propellants, azodicarbonamide, nitroguanidine or guanidine nitrate and oxidized with potassium nitrate or potassium perchlorate. They were theoretically and experimentally evaluated on a series of combustion properties, such as ignition delay, burning rate, vivacity, specific energy, etc. The purpose of this paper is to experimentally examine the gas production of the previously proposed compositions. The yield of gas is determined through static pressure measurements after a closed vessel test, while the composition of the combustion gases is investigated through gas analysis. The addition of an oxidizer causes a significant drop in the yield of gas, but avoids the formation of hazardous gases, such as H-2 and CO, in most of the studied cases. The only exception is the mixture of a double base propellant with potassium nitrate: potassium nitrate does not fully react with the double base propellant and therefore the formation of CO and H-2 is not prevented.