Study of Factors Influencing the Life Predictions of Solid Rocket Motor

Storage of rocket motors loaded with composite solid propellant for long periods may change the propellant properties, thus causing failure and affecting the safety during launch. In this study, an accelerated aging assay was carried out, in order to predict the useful lifetime and to evaluate variations on the propellant properties with time by means of thermal analysis (TG/DSC). The aging temperatures used were 65°C, and samples were withdrawn after 3 months. Aging was also carried out at room temperature. There was significant variation in the activation energy of the solid propellant samples thermal decomposition in the two kinetic methods used – Ozawa or model-free isoconversional method and Kissinger method – during the aging period. There was significant decrease of enthalpy of aged propellant enthalpy causing changes in ballistics parameters of the solid propellant grain affecting the rocket's performance.