A Study of Estimating the Safe Storage Life, Self-accelerating Decomposition Temperature and Critical Temperature of Thermal Explosion of Double-base Propellant Using Isothermal and Non-isothermal Decomposition Behaviours

A method of estimating the safe storage life （τ）, self-accelerating decomposition temperature （TsADT） and critical temperature of thermal explosion （Tb） of double-base propellant using isothermal and non-isothermal decomposition behaviours is presented. For double-base propellant composed of 56±1wt% of nitrocellulose （NC）, 27±0.5wt% of nitroglycerine （NG）, 8.15±0.15wt% of dinitrotoluene （DNT）, 2.5±0.1wt% of methyl centralite, 5.0±0.15wt% of catalyst and 1.0±0.1wt% of other, the values of r of 49.4 years at 40℃, of TSAOT of 151.35℃ and of Tb of 163.01℃ were obtained.

Combustion Properties of Metal Particles as Components of Modified Double-Base Propellants

Metal particles such as aluminum（ Al）,magnesium（ Mg）,boron（ B） and nickel（ Ni）,as well as Mg/Al alloy（ Mg/Al = 3/4） are currently the most widely used ingredients in modified doublebase propellants. In this contribution,the combustion properties of the metal species are studied by means of the high-speed photography technique and the non-contact wavelet-based measurement of flame temperature distribution. The combustion process of the Al,Mg and Mg/Al samples shows both gas phase reaction and surface oxidation,which yield volatile and nonvolatile products,corresponding to the oxide and suboxide respectively. However,the combustion of B and Ni shows only gas phase reaction,due to their high melting point as well as high enthalpy of vaporization. In addition to the experiments,a hypothetical combustion model has been proposed to clarify the combustion characteristics of metal species in modified double-base propellants.

Novel aspects for thermal stability studies and shelf life assessment of modified double-base propellants

Modified DB propellants, based on energetic nitramine(RDX) were manufactured by solventless extrusion process. Thermal stability and shelf life assessment of modified DB propellant were investigated. Shelf life assessment was evaluated using Van’t Hoff’s formula and artificial aging at 70℃ up to120 days. Quantification of total heat released and heat flow with aging time was conducted using differential scanning calorimetry(DSC) and thermal activity monitoring(TAMIII) respectively. Modified DB formulation based on 20 wt % RDX demonstrated enhanced thermal stability in terms of controlled heat flow, and slow decomposition reactions at elevated temperature. This formulation demonstrated extended service life up to 56 years compared with reference formulation. These novel finding was ascribed to the high thermal stability of RDX and its compatibility with DB constituents. This manuscript shaded the light on novel and effective approach for thermal stability via monitoring thermal activity with aging.

Evaluation of Thermal Hazard of Composite Modified Double-base Propellant by Microcalorimetery Method

The thermal decomposition behavior of composite modified double-base（CMDB） propellant containing cyclotrimethylene trinitramine（RDX） was studied via a Calvet microcalorimeter at five different heating rates. The activation energy（E） and the pre-exponential factor（A） of two obvious exothermic processes were obtained by Kissinger＇s method and Ozawa＇s method. The entropy of activation（△S^≠）, the enthalpy of activation（△H^≠）, and the free energy of activation（△G^≠） of the first stage were calculated. To evaluate the thermal hazard of the RDX-CMDB propellant, the critical temperature of thermal explosion（Tb）, the self acceleration decomposition temperature（Tsgox）, the adiabatic decomposition temperature increment（ATad） and the time-to-explosion of adiabatic system（t） were presented as 145.3 ℃, 138.15 ℃, 1634 K and 583.71 s（n=0） and 586.28 s（n=1）, respectively.

Novel approach to quantify the chemical stability and shelf life of modified double-base propellants

Double-base(DB) propellant is vulnerable to auto-catalytic decomposition reactions during storing with the evolution of nitrogen oxides. Modified DB propellant based on energetic nitramines(RDX) can offer enhanced thrust and action time. This study is devoted to evaluate the impact of RDX on chemical stability and shelf life of DB propellant. Extruded modified DB propellant based on RDX was manufactured by solventless extrusion process. Shelf life assessment was performed using an artificial aging at70 ℃ up to 120 days and employing Van't Hoffs formula. Quantification of evolved NOx gases and stabilizer depletion with aging time was conducted using Bergmann-Junk test and HPLC respectively.Modified DB formulation based on RDX 20 wt % demonstrated enhanced chemical stability and extended service life up to 46 years compared with reference formulation. This finding was ascribed to the high chemical and thermal stability of RDX as well as its compatibility with DB constituents; no side chemical reactions could take place during storing. This manuscript shaded the light on RDX as effective energetic constituent that offered DB propellants with enhanced performance, good chemical stability, and extended service life.

Ballistic Testing and Thermal Behavior of Cast Double-base Propellant Containing BuNENA

Preparation of cast double-propellant grains depends on the ability of nitrocellulose powder to swell and coalesce into a coherent mass when treated with a suitable solvent.The cast double-base process has been developed into a highly versatile technique for manufacturing solid rocket charges.Propellants manufactured by this process provide a wide range of energies and burning rates.Successful preparation of cast double-base propellant grains has been performed using compatible casting liquid with the casting powder.BuNENA was used as an energetic plasticizer for manufacturing of casting powder.Burning rate measurements have been performed using closed bomb SV-2to investigate the burning behavior along a wide range of operating pressure.Plateau burning had been detected in pressure range(50-70)×105 Pa for the composition included BuNENA.DTA and TGA thermal analysis were conducted to evaluate the thermal behavior of the prepared cast double-base propellants.Results from DTA were used to calculate the apparent activation energy.

Chemical stability, thermal behavior, and shelf life assessment of extruded modified double-base propellants

Double base propellant suffers from lack of chemical stability; this could result in self ignition during storing. Modified double base(MDB) propellant based on stoichiometric binary mixture of oxidizermetal fuel(Ammonium perchlorate/Aluminum), and energetic nitramines(HMX) offered enhanced thrust as well as combustion characteristics. This study is devoted to evaluate the impact of such energetic additives on thermal behavior, chemical stability, and shelf life. Extruded MDB formulations were manufactured by extrusion process. Artificial aging at 80℃ for 28 days was conducted. Shelf life assessment was performed using Van't Hoff's equation. Quantification of evolved NOxgases with aging time was performed using quantitative stability tests. MDB formulation based on HMX demonstrated extended service life of 16 years compared with(AP/Al)-MDB which demonstrated 9 years. This finding was ascribed to the reactivity of AP with nitroglycerin with the formation of perchloric acid. Thermal behavior of aged MDB, exhibited an increase in heat released with time; this was ascribed to the autocatalytic thermal degradation during artificial aging. The increase in released heat by 31% was found to be equivalent to evolved NOx gases of 6.2 cm^3/5 g and 2.5 cm^3/1 g for Bergmann-Junk test, and Vacuum stability test respectively. This manuscript shaded the light on a novel approach to quantify evolved NOx gases to heat released with aging time. MDB based on HMX offered balanced ballistic performance,chemical stability, and service life.

Construction of smart propellant with multi-morphologies

Smart materials,which exhibit shape memory behavior in response to external stimuli,have shown great potential for use in biomedical applications.In this study,an energetic composite was fabricated using a UV-assisted DIW 3D printing technique and a shape memory material(SMP)as the binder.This composite has the ability to reduce the impact of external factors and adjust gun propellant combustion behavior.The composition and 3D printing process were delineated,while the internal structure and shape memory performance of the composite material were studied.The energetic SMP composite exhibits an angle of reversal of 18 s at 70°,with a maximum elongation typically reaching up to 280% of the original length and a recovery length of approximately 105%during ten cycles.Additionally,thermal decomposition and combustion behavior were also demonstrated for the energetic SMP composite.

Effect of neutral polymeric bonding agent on tensile mechanical properties and damage evolution of NEPE propellant

Introducing Neutral Polymeric bonding agents(NPBA) into the Nitrate Ester Plasticized Polyether(NEPE)propellant could improve the adhesion between filler/matrix interface, thereby contributing to the development of new generations of the NEPE propellant with better mechanical properties. Therefore,understanding the effects of NPBA on the deformation and damage evolution of the NEPE propellant is fundamental to material design and applications. This paper studies the uniaxial tensile and stress relaxation responses of the NEPE propellant with different amounts of NPBA. The damage evolution in terms of interface debonding is further investigated using a cohesive-zone model(CZM). Experimental results show that the initial modulus and strength of the NEPE propellant increase with the increasing amount of NPBA while the elongation decreases. Meanwhile, the relaxation rate slows down and a higher long-term equilibrium modulus is reached. Experimental and numerical analyses indicate that interface debonding and crack propagation along filler-matrix interface are the dominant damage mechanism for the samples with a low amount of NPBA, while damage localization and crack advancement through the matrix are predominant for the ones with a high amount of NPBA. Finally, crosslinking density tests and simulation results also show that the effect of the bonding agent is interfacial rather than due to the overall crosslinking density change of the binder.

Investigation of high rate mechanical flow followed by ignition for high-energy propellant under dynamic extrusion loading

Investigating the ignition response of nitrate ester plasticized polyether(NEPE) propellant under dynamic extrusion loading is of great significant at least for two cases. Firstly, it helps to understand the mechanism and conditions of unwanted ignition inside charged propellant under accident stimulus.Secondly, evaluates the risk of a shell crevice in a solid rocket motor(SRM) under a falling or overturning scene. In the present study, an innovative visual crevice extrusion experiment is designed using a dropweight apparatus. The dynamic responses of NEPE propellant during extrusion loading, including compaction and compression, rapid shear flow into the crevice, stress concentration, and ignition reaction, have been firstly observed using a high-performance high-speed camera. The ignition reaction is observed in the triangular region of the NEPE propellant sample above the crevice when the drop weight velocity was 1.90 m/s. Based on the user material subroutine interface UMAT provided by finite element software LS-DYNA, a viscoelastic-plastic model and dual ignition criterion related to plastic shear dissipation are developed and applied to the local ignition response analysis under crevice extrusion conditions. The stress concentration occurs in the crevice location of the propellant sample, the shear stress is relatively large, the effective plastic work is relatively large, and the ignition reaction is easy to occur. When the sample thickness decreases from 5 mm to 2.5 mm, the shear stress increases from 22.3 MPa to 28.6 MPa, the critical value of effective plastic work required for ignition is shortened from 1280 μs to 730 μs, and the triangular area is easily triggering an ignition reaction. The propellant sample with a small thickness is more likely to stress concentration, resulting in large shear stress and effective work, triggering an ignition reaction.

Synthesis of multifunctional additives for solid propellants:Structure,properties and mechanism

To simplify the composite propellant formulation and address the current issue of the single-functionality present in existing additives,the multi-cyano,amine-based polybutadiene(AEHTPB-CN)was prepared based on AEHTPB by adopting appropriate synthesis strategies.By replacing 10% of HTPB binder in the propellant formulation,it can effectively enhance the interfacial bond strength between the propellant binder matrix and solid fillers(AP(ammonium perchlorate)and RDX(cyclotrimethylene-trinitramine)),the mechanical properties of the HTPB/AP/RDX/Al propellant were superior to blank control propellant with an improvement of 35.4% in tensile strength,62.0% enhancement in elongation at break,and reduce the propellant burn rate by 10.7% with any energy loss.The function mechanism of AEHTPB-CN was systematically elucidated through experiments and computer simulation techniques.The results show that the tertiary amine group in AEHTPB-CN can react with AP to form ammonium ionic bonds,and the hydroxyl and cyano groups can form hydrogen bonding interactions with AP,which enables AEHTPB-CN to be firmly adsorbed on the AP surface through chemical and physical interactions.For RDX,the interfacial bonding effect of AEHTPB-CN is attributed to their ability to form C-H···N≡C weak hydrogen bonding interaction between the cyano group and RDX methylene group.

Mussel-inspired PTW@PDA composites for developing high-energy gun propellants with reduced erosion and enhanced mechanical strength

The severe erosion and inadequate mechanical strength are prominent challenges for high-energy gun propellants.To address it,novel PTW@PDA composites was prepared by polydopamine(PDA)-modifying onto potassium titanate whisker(PTW,K_(2)Ti_(6)O_(13)),and after was incorporated into gun propellant as erosion-reducing and mechanical-reinforcing fillers.The interfacial characterizations results indicated that as-prepared PTW@PDA composites exhibits an enhanced surface compatible with propellant matrix,thereby facilitating their dispersion into propellants more effectively than raw PTW materials.Compared to original propellants,PTW@PDA-modified propellants exhibited significant less erosion,with a Ti-Kbased protective coating being detected on the eroded steel.And 0.5 wt%and 1.0 wt%addition of PTW@PDA significantly improved impact,compressive and tensile strength of propellants.Despite the inevitably reduction in relative force,PTW@PDA slightly increase propellant burning rate while exerting little adverse impact on propellant dynamic activity.This strategy can provide a promising alternative to develop high-energy gun propellant with less erosion and more mechanical strength.

Investigation of hydroxyl-terminated polybutadiene propellant breaking characteristics and mechanism impacted by submerged cavitation water jet

A submerged cavitation water jet(SCWJ)is an effective method to recycle solid propellant from obsolete solid engines by the breaking method.Solid propellant's breaking modes and mechanical process under SCWJ impact are unclear.This study aims to understand those impact breaking mechanisms.The hydroxyl-terminated polybutadiene(HTPB)propellant was chosen as the research material,and a self-designed test system was used to conduct impact tests at four different working pressures.The high-speed camera characterized crack propagation,and the DIC method calculated strain change during the impact process.Besides,micro and macro fracture morphologies were characterized by scanning electron microscope(SEM)and computed tomography(CT)scanning.The results reveal that the compressive strain concentration region locates right below the nozzle,and the shear strain region distributes symmetrically with the jet axis,which increases to 4% at first 16th ms,the compressive strain rises to 2% and 6% in the axial and transverse direction,respectively.The two tensile cracks formed first at the compression strain concentrate region,and there generate many shear cracks around the tensile cracks,and those shear cracks that develop and aggregate cause the cracks to become wider and cut through the tensile cracks,forming the tensile-shear cracks and the impact parts eventually fail.The HTPB propellant forms a breaking hole shaped conical after impact 10 s.The mass loss increases by 17 times at maximum,with the working pressure increasing by three times.Meanwhile,the damage value of the breaking hole remaining on the surface increases by 7.8 times while 2.9 times in the depth of the breaking hole.The breaking efficiency is closely affected by working pressures.The failure modes of HTPB impacted by SCWJ are classified as tensile crack-dominated and tensile-shear crack-dominated damage mechanisms.

Investigations of the mechanical response of dummy HTPB propellant grain under ultrahigh acceleration overload conditions using onboard flight-test measurements

In this paper,to study the mechanical responses of a solid propellant subjected to ultrahigh acceleration overload during the gun-launch process,specifically designed projectile flight tests with an onboard measurement system were performed.Two projectiles containing dummy HTPB propellant grains were successfully recovered after the flight tests with an ultrahigh acceleration overload value of 8100 g.The onboard-measured time-resolved axial displacement,contact stress and overload values were successfully obtained and analysed.Uniaxial compression tests of the dummy HTPB propellant used in the gunlaunched tests were carried out at low and intermediate strain rates to characterize the propellant's dynamic properties.A linear viscoelastic constitutive model was employed and applied in finite-element simulations of the projectile-launching process.During the launch process,the dummy propellant grain exhibited large deformation due to the high acceleration overload,possibly leading to friction between the motor case and propellant grain.The calculated contact stress showed good agreement with the experimental results,though discrepancies in the overall displacement of the dummy propellant grain were observed.The dynamic mechanical response process of the dummy propellant grain was analysed in detail.The results can be used to estimate the structural integrity of the analysed dummy propellant grain during the gun-launch process.

Estimation of surface geometry on combustion characteristics of AP/HTPB propellant under rapid depressurization

The 2D sandwich model serves as a potent tool in exploring the influence of surface geometry on the combustion attributes of Ammonium perchlorate/Hydroxyl-terminated polybutadiene(AP/HTPB)propellant under rapid pressure decay.The thickness of the sandwich propellant is derived from slicing the 3D random particle packing,an approach that enables a more effective examination of the micro-flame structure.Comparative analysis of the predicted burning characteristics has been performed with experimental studies.The findings demonstrate a reasonable agreement,thereby validating the precision and soundness of the model.Based on the typical rapid depressurization environment of solid rocket motor(initial combustion pressure is 3 MPa and the maximum depressurization rate is 1000 MPa/s).A-type(a flatter surface),B-type(AP recesses from the combustion surface),and C-type(AP protrudes from the combustion surface)propellant combustion processes are numerically simulated.Upon comparison of the evolution of gas-phase flame between 0.1 and 1 ms,it is discerned that the flame strength and form created by the three sandwich models differ significantly at the beginning stage of depressurization,with the flame structures gradually becoming harmonized over time.Conclusions are drawn by comparison extinction times:the surface geometry plays a pivotal role in the combustion process,with AP protrusion favoring combustion the most.

The regulation of ferrocene-based catalysts on heat transfer in highpressure combustion of ammonium perchlorate/hydroxyl-terminated polybutadiene/aluminum composite propellants

The regulation of the burning rate pressure exponent for the ammonium perchlorate/hydroxylterminated polybutadiene/aluminum(AP/HTPB/Al)composite propellants under high pressures is a crucial step for its application in high-pressure solid rocket motors.In this work,the combustion characteristics of AP/HTPB/Al composite propellants containing ferrocene-based catalysts were investigated,including the burning rate,thermal behavior,the local heat transfer,and temperature profile in the range of 7-28 MPa.The results showed that the exponent breaks were still observed in the propellants after the addition of positive catalysts(Ce-Fc-MOF),the burning rate inhibitor((Ferrocenylmethyl)trimethylammonium bromide,Fc Br)and the mixture of Fc Br/catocene(GFP).However,the characteristic pressure has increased,and the exponent decreased from 1.14 to 0.66,0.55,and 0.48 when the addition of Ce-FcMOF,Fc Br and Fc Br/GFP in the propellants.In addition,the temperature in the first decomposition stage was increased by 7.50℃ and 11.40℃ for the AP/Fc Br mixture and the AP/Fc Br/GFP mixture,respectively,compared to the pure AP.On the other hand,the temperature in the second decomposition stage decreased by 48.30℃ and 81.70℃ for AP/Fc Br and AP/Fc Br/GFP mixtures,respectively.It was also found that Fc Br might generate ammonia to cover the AP surface.In this case,a reaction between the methyl in Fc Br and perchloric acid caused more ammonia to appear at the AP surface,resulting in the suppression of ammonia desorption.In addition,the coarse AP particles on the quenched surface were of a concave shape relative to the binder matrix under low and high pressures when the catalysts were added.In the process,the decline at the AP/HTPB interface was only exhibited in the propellant with the addition of Ce-Fc-MOF.The ratio of the gas-phase temperature gradient of the propellants containing catalysts was reduced significantly below and above the characteristic pressure,rather than 3.6 times of the difference in the blank propellant.Overall,the obtained results demonstrated that the pressure exponent could be effectively regulated and controlled by adjusting the propellant local heat and mass transfer under high and low pressures.

Solvent transport dynamics and its effect on evolution of mechanical properties of nitrocellulose(NC)-based propellants under hot-air drying process

Appropriate drying process with optimized controlling of drying parameters plays a vital role in the improvement of the quality and performance of propellant products.However,few research on solvent transport dynamics within NC-based propellants was reported,and its effect on the evolution of mechanical properties was not interpreted yet.This study is conducted to gain a comprehensive understanding of hot-air drying for NC-based propellants and clarify the effect of temperature on solvent transport behavior and further the change of mechanical properties during drying.The drying kinetic curves show the drying time required is decreased but the steady solvent content is increased and the drying rate is obviously increased with the increase of hot-air temperatures,indicating hot-air temperatures have a significant effect on drying kinetics.A modified drying model was established,and results show it is more appropriate to describe solvent transport behavior within NC-based propellants.Moreover,two linear equations were established to exhibit the relationship between solvent content and its effect on the change of tensile properties,and the decrease of residual solvent content causes an obvious increase of tensile strength and tensile modulus of propellant products,indicating its mechanical properties can be partly improved by adjustment of residual solvent content.The outcomes can be used to clarify solvent transport mechanisms and optimize drying process parameters of double-based gun propellants.

The effect of reactive plasticizer on viscoelastic and mechanical properties of solid rocket propellants based on different types of HTPB resin

Conventional plasticizers deteriorate mechanical and viscoelastic properties of the propellants due to their migration upon aging and long-term storage,which affects reliability and safety properties during exploitation.To address this issue,conventional plasticizer,dioctyl adipate(DOA),is replaced by reactive one,castor oil(CO).In addition,three different types of HTPB were used to obtain propellants with designed viscoelastic and mechanical properties.The CO increased propellants viscosity,without a significant impact on the propellant processability,regardless to the type of prepolymer.Conversely,mechanical properties were different depending on the type of resin,which were further analyzed by gel permeation chromatography(GPC).Addition of CO formed a denser polymer network and shifted T_(g) to higher values,compared to the compositions with DOA.The tensile strength of CO-containing propellants was lower at +20℃ and +50℃ compared to the reference compositions,while the strain at maximum load and strain at break were significantly increased with pronounced plastic deformation,especially for samples at -30℃.The inclusion of CO in the propellants composition gives more room for adjusting a wide range of mechanical properties.

Thermal Behavior,Nonisothermal Decomposition Reaction Kinetics of Mixed Ester Double-base Gun Propellants

The thermal decomposition behavior and nonisothermal reaction kinetics of the double-base gun propellants containing the mixed ester of triethyleneglycol dinitrate（TEGDN） and nitroglycerin（NG） were investigated by thermogravimetry（TG） and differential thermogravimetry（DTG）, and differential scanning calorimetry（DSC） under the high-pressure dynamic ambience. The results show that the thermal decomposition processes of the mixed nitric ester gun propellants have two mass-loss stages. Nitric ester evaporates and decomposes in the first stage, and nitrocellulose and centralite II（C2） decompose in the second stage. The mass loss, the DTG peak points, and the terminated temperatures of the two stages are changeable with the difference of the mass ratio of TEGDN to NG. There is only one obvious exothermic peak in the DSC curves under the different pressures. With the increase in the furnace pressure, the peak temperature decreases, and the decomposition heat increases. With the increase in the content of TEGDN, the decomposition heat decreases at 0.1 MPa and rises at high pressure. The variety of mass ratio of TEGDN to NG makes few effect on the exothermic peak temperatures in the DSC curves at different pressures. The kinetic equation of the main exothermal decomposition reaction of the gun propellant TG0601 was determined as： dα/dt=1021.59（1-α）3e-2.60×104/T. The reaction mechanism of the process can be classified as chemical reaction. The critical temperatures of the thermal explosion（Tbe and Tbp） obtained from the onset temperature（Te） and the peak temperature（Tp） are 456.46 and 473.40 K, respectively. ΔS≠, ΔH≠, and ΔG≠ of the decomposition reaction are 163.57 J·mol^-1·K^-1, 209.54 kJ·mol^-1, and 133.55 kJ·mol^-1, respectively.

Molecular simulation study of the stabilization process of NEPE propellant

In this reported study, the density functional theory(DFT) was used at the(U)B3LYP/6-311G(d,p) level to investigate the stabilization process of the nitrate ester plasticized polyether propellant(NEPE). Molecular simulations were conducted of the reaction that generates NO_(2), the autocatalytic and aging reaction triggered by the NO_(2), and the nitrogen dioxide absorption reaction of the stabilizers during the propellent stabilization process. These simulations were derived using the transition-state theory(TST)and variational transition-state theory(VTST). The simulation results suggested that the stabilization of the NEPE propellant consisted of three stages. First, heat and NO_(2) were generated during the denitrification reaction of nitroglycerine(NG) and 1,2,4-butanetriol trinitrate(BTTN) in the NEPE propellant.Second, nitroso products were generated by the reactions of N-Methyl-4-nitroaniline(MNA) and 2-nitrodiphenylamine(2NDPA) with NO_(2). Third, the stabilizers were exhausted and the autocatalytic reaction of NG and BTTN and the aging reaction of polyethylene glycol(PEG) were triggered by the heat and NO_(2)generated in the first stage. By comparing the energy barriers of the various reactions, it was found that the NO_(2)generated from the denitrification reaction significantly reduced the reaction energy barrier to 105.56-126.32 kJ/mol, also increased the reaction rate constant, and decreased the thermal stability and energetic properties of the NEPE propellant. In addition, the NO_(2)also weakened the mechanical properties of the NEPE propellant by attacking the-CH2groups and the O atoms in the PEG molecular chain. The energy barriers of the reactions of MNA and 2NDPA with NO_(2)(94.61-133.61 k J/mol) were lower than those of the autocatalytic and decomposition reactions of NG, BTTN, and the aging reactions of PEG(160.30-279.46 kJ/mol). This indicated that, by eliminating NO_(2), the stabilizer in the NEPE propellant can effectively prevent NO_(2)from reacting with the NG, BTTN, and PEG in the NEPE propellant. Consequently, this would help maintain the energy and mechanical properties of the NEPE propellant, thereby improving its thermal stability.