Effect of Graphene on the Mechanical Properties of Glycidyl Azide Polymer‐Based Energetic Thermoplastic Elastomer

ABSTRACT Energetic adhesives with excellent mechanical properties are of great significance for the development of solid propellant. In this paper, a small amount of graphene is used to enhance the mechanical properties of glycidyl azide polymer (GAP)‐based energetic thermoplastic elastomer (GAP‐ETPE), and an in‐depth analysis of the graphene enhancement mechanism is conducted through the structural characterization of the composite elastomer. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) reveals that the solvent‐assisted ultrasonic dispersion method can fully disperse graphene in GAP‐ETPE, taking advantage of its high specific surface area. Fourier Transform Infrared (FT‐IR) and low‐field Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (LF‐NMR) analysis show that graphene can provide physical crosslinking sites, significantly increasing the crosslinking density of GAP‐ETPE. Dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) indicates that the increased crosslinking density caused by graphene will restrict the segmental motion of GAP‐ETPE. Static tensile test result shows that the use of 0.1 wt% graphene can increase the tensile strength of GAP‐ETPE from 7.0 to 7.8 MPa. This work provides a basis for the application of graphene in energetic adhesives.