Effect of Acid Concentration on Thermal Stability of nitrocellulose (NC) for Civil Use

Abstract

The effect of acid concentration in nitrocellulose (NC) on thermal stability of NC for civil use was studied using differential scanning calorimeter (DSC). The thermal explosion temperature (Tb) and kinetic parameters of NC thermal decomposition were calculated using different methods based on the thermal decomposition behaviors of NC in high pressure-gold plated stainless steel crucible at different heating rates. The results show that acid content in NC reduces the stability of NC remarkably, including reducing the characteristic decomposition temperature such as peak temperature (Tp), onset temperature (Tonset), initial temperature (T0) and critical temperature of thermal explosion (Tb). The big difference between NC with different acid content is that the relative quantity of activation energy and the change trend of activation energy. The most interesting thing is that NC with more acid content has the lower characteristic temperature but higher calculated activation energy.