Effect of solid oxidizers on the thermal oxidation and combustion performance of amorphous boron

Amorphous boron is usually employed as the most important fuel of boron-based fuel-rich propellants, and NH₄ClO₄ (AP), cyclotetramethylenetetranitramine (HMX), KClO₄ and KNO₃ are the solid oxidizers of most used in solid propellants. The mixtures of boron and different solid oxidizers with mass ratio 1:1 were prepared in this paper, and the effect of these oxidizers on the thermal oxidation and combustion performance of amorphous boron was studied by simultaneous thermogravimetry–differential scanning calorimeter–Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and CO₂ laser ignition experiments. The experimental results show that the main reactions during the heating process of B/AP and B/HMX samples are the decomposition of oxidizers, and the decomposition process of oxidizers rather than the decomposition temperature is affected by amorphous boron; boron could react with KClO₄ and KNO₃ violently with the release of large amounts of heat, and then both of the oxidizers, especially KClO₄, have positive effect on the oxidation and combustion performance of amorphous boron.