Synthesis and characterization of Cu-Cr-O nanocomposites

Abstract

Cu-Cr-O nanocomposites that can be used as additives for the catalytic combustion of AP(ammonium perchlorate)-based solid-state propellants were synthesized via a citric acid(CA) complexing approach. Techniques of TG-DTA, XRD as well as TEM were employed to characterize the thermal decomposition procedure, crystal phase, micro-structural morphologies and grain size of the as-synthesized materials respectively. The results show that well-crystallized Cu-Cr-O nanocomposites can be produced after the CA-Cu-Cr precursors are calcined at 500°C for 3 h. Phase composition of the as-obtained Cu-Cr-O nanocomposites depends on the molar ratio of Cu to Cr in the starting reactants. Addition of the as-synthesized Cu-Cr-O nanocomposites as catalysts enhances the burning rate as well as lowers the pressure exponent of the AP-based solid-state propellants considerably. Noticeably, catalyst with a Cu/Cr molar ratio of 0.7 exhibits promising catalytic activity with high burning rate and low pressure exponent at all pressures, due to the effective phase interaction between the spinel CuCr₂O₄ and delafossite CuCrO₂ contained in the as-synthesized Cu-Cr-O nanocomposites.

Keywords

copper chromite composite / nanomaterial / citric acid / solid-state propellant / catalyst / complexing